Reverse
by SpringSinger
Summary: This wasn't how it was supposed to be. Rose was supposed to be in Gryffindor with Al, not Scorpius. Now, she's stuck in Slytherin - friends with an ice queen, muggle obsessed quidditch player and an clinically O.C.D. Ravenclaw. Anything can happen.
1. Sad Song

**Hi guys(: I am so excited to be starting this story! I have so many ideas and can't wait to get them all down on paper. This is going to be a bit of a darker story but there will definitely be lots of humor and lighter parts. This chapter may seem a bit dismal but trust me it'll definitely be lighter next chapter! **

**Also, to get the full effect, listen to the title song of each chapter. This chapter's song is "Sad Song" by Christina Perri. Quote for the chapter:**

"And I'm so sorry. It's not like me. It's maturity that I'm lacking so don't, don't let me go. Just let me know that growing up goes slow."**  
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**Also, please note that anything in italics are the thoughts of Rose. **

**ENJOY(:**

**-SpringSinger19**

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><p>My name is Rose Weasley and I have defied expectations.<p>

At 17, I'd become someone who my parents, my friends and my family never expected.

I'd become someone whom even I never expected.

Over the years, life had taken its course and dragged me along the way, beating me up at every step. Maturity has hardened my gaze, softened the hue of my fiery mane and sharpened my tongue. I had become a devout follower of Murphy's Law, as I had seen its legitimacy proven time and time again. All innocence and naivety had been stripped away long ago, leaving me naked and cold. A ghost of the girl I used to be.

As I stood alone in the freezing chill of mid-Autumn, my hands buried deep within the pockets of my twill jacket, I realized something.

I was alone.

_Isn't this what you expected all along, Rose? _I asked myself, smiling without humor.

Shaking my head, I turned, not once looking back. Emotionless and placid, I walked away from everything I'd once held close. Things had changed and people had changed. Like that was a surprise…

I wasn't that girl anymore. I didn't know her.

I'd become someone who I hardly would have recognized, standing at Platform 9 ¾ all those years ago for the very first time …

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><p><em>Six years earlier<em>

I sat silently, looking on from the train compartment as familiar faces faded from my sight. A wild innocence gleamed in my eyes as I watched my family disappear in the distance. My cheeks were flushed, my mouth set determinedly.

Hogwarts. It was finally our turn. The day we had been waiting for had finally come.

Hold on a second, let me explain. The 'we' was my cousin Albus and I. We were best friends and always had been. Practically inseparable since birth. Complete opposites but perfect proof that they attract.

While I sat on the edge of my seat, my face pressed against the cold window, he sat alone on the other side, his knees pulled up to his chest and his nose in a book. It was all too typical for the two of us.

"They're not getting any closer, Rosie," Albus spoke teasingly, a slight smile curving his lips as he looked up, adjusting his glasses.

I glanced back at him, glaring, "I know!"

Al held his hands up as if to signal a truce, not wanting my temper unleashed upon him.

Because, however I didn't like to admit it, I was a tad sentimental, a trait that clashed with my assertive personality. It was something my best friend and I both knew but never spoke of. At 11, I simply found it embarrassing, as I was not quite mature enough to articulate what I was feeling and why I felt that it was important.

I looked back out of the window, straining my eyes to see the bright blue of my mum's hat. Fear flooded into my heart for a moment as I couldn't find it, the reality sinking in. I didn't know why, but I felt as if I were losing a part of me, something that I could never gain back.

I bit my lip and sat back, a bit unnerved as I leaned my head against the wall.

"You alright, Rosie?" Al asked, peering questioningly from behind his glasses.

I smiled, lying, "Yeah."

My direct tone signaled the end of conversation and Al took the cue, returning to his book.

I looked down at my nails. I felt empty. It was a weird feeling, something I had never experienced in my 11 years of life. I couldn't place it. I didn't want to talk about. It was something unfamiliar. I couldn't figure out how to handle it, it wasn't something physical that could be dealt with like…like a gnome infestation.

Frowning, I bit my lip before reaching into my bag to grab a piece of parchment and quill. I began to write.

_Dear mum and dad_

_I –_

A loud knock interrupted my thoughts, shocking me out of my train of thought.

I made brief eye-contact with Al before shouting, "Come in!"

As the door slid open with a loud screech, a small, blonde boy stepped inside. His hair was tousled, his eyes were bright. He was clad in dark jeans, a white t-shirt and black sneakers. Behind him was one large, high-quality suitcase filled so tightly that it appeared as if it could burst at any given moment.

His eyes were wide and he looked uneasy and out of place.

Which he was.

My mouth formed a thin line as I recognized the boy. He was Scorpius Malfoy, the boy branded by my father as competition the moment he stepped onto Platform 9 ¾.

He looked anxious, even more so as he realized just whose compartment he had happened upon.

For a second, I almost felt bad for him. He looked more lost than even I felt at that moment.

"Hey," Al finally spoke after an instant of silence.

"Hey," Scorpius replied, glancing around uncomfortably, "do you mind if I – ?"

"Not at all," Al flashed a friendly smile at Scorpius and patted the seat next to him, scooting over to make space. My eyebrows narrowed as I watched him sit down.

"I'm Al," he said, reaching his hand out towards Scorpius, "Albus actually but no one calls me that anymore."

Scorpius nodded, visibly relaxing as he took Al's hand. As if on cue, both boys turned towards me.

As Scorpius and I made eye-contact, my heart sped up. An overwhelming sense of foreboding washed over me as his green eyes bored into my brown ones. I looked away pointedly. Al could pretend to be friends with Malfoy all he wanted, but I wouldn't do the same.

I could practically hear Al roll his eyes as he sighed, "And that's Rose. She's in a bit of a bad mood, don't mind her."

"Hey!" I scowled, folding my arms as I shot him a disapproving glare.

"You know, if you're not careful your face will freeze like that," Scorpius commented casually, as if it was the most logical, ordinary explanation in the world.

Al burst into surprised laughter, his glasses shaking on the brim of his nose. However, I, on the other hand, was stunned, completely speechless, my jaw wide open.

"What are you trying to do? Catch flies, Rosie?" Al asked, still laughing, his mouth splitting into a wide-set grin.

Scorpius looked up with casual amusement, his eyes conveying his challenge loud and clear. All signs of anxiety had now vanished, replaced with a rather unflattering smirk. Angrily, I balled my hands into fists.

I felt like slapping that smug look off of his face.

It was a badgering itch but I had enough self-control not to go through with it.

Clenching my jaw, I kept my silence and turned back towards the window, trying to focus my eyes on anything but Scorpius Malfoy and his…best friend sabotage.

"Well, I'm Scorpius," he spoke after Al's laughter died down, speaking deliberately towards my cousin and my cousin only.

"It's great to meet you," Al grinned.

"So," I began loudly, unwilling to be ignored, "what house do you think you'll be sorted into?"

He froze, just as I had expected, and for a moment I saw a glimpse of the same apprehensive boy that had first entered the compartment.

However, he quickly regained composure and shrugged, "I don't know. My dad was in Slytherin but my mum was in Ravenclaw. Both of them want me to be in their house but I don't think I'd mind being in any house."

Al nodded approvingly.

"I mean as long as I'm not in Hufflepuff, right?" he added jokingly, earning a smile from Al.

"Well, I want to be in Gryffindor," announced Al proudly, "my parents were and so is my brother."

"Same," I added, "either Gryffindor or Ravenclaw for me."

"Ravenclaw?" Scorpius asked, raising an eyebrow. "Really?"

My jaw dropped for the second time that day. I was so furious that I couldn't form words.

Al, however, burst out into laughter. "I applaud you, Scorpius. I've never met anyone who could shut Rosie up so fast."

Both boys laughed and an unfamiliar ache coursed through me. It wasn't so much that Al's jab had gotten to me as the new founded comraderey between the two. It had never occurred to me that coming to Hogwarts might result in losing my best friend. However, as the two boys continued on in an easy-going conversation, I felt insecure, wondering if perhaps Al might prefer the company of another boy over me.

However as soon as I recognized the insecurity, I pushed it away and replaced it with fresh willpower. Malfoy was threatening my relationship with Al? Huh, well if that was the way he wanted it then that was the way it would be. I couldn't do anything physically to harm him but besting him in every class like I promised my dad would certainly be satisfying.

I would prove to him that nothing could touch me. I would prove to my family that I could live up to the standard my mother set. I would prove to Al that I was better and more interesting than Malfoy.

And most importantly, I would prove to myself that it was possible.

You think I'm negative? Well that's just who I've always been.

Prepare for the worst and it'll never happen.

Shaking my thoughts away, I stood. "I'm going to go change into my robes," I announced, grabbing the long black uniform from my bag.

"So eager to get to school, Rose?" Scorpius asked teasingly as I opened the door, "Perhaps you should be a Ravenclaw!"

As stepped outside of the compartment, I could hear Al's muffled laughter.

It was going to be a long train ride.

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><p>Hours later, we arrived at Hogsmeade Station, all quite a bit more tired and worn-out than when we had started. As Al, Scorpius and I made our way off of the train, we were almost swallowed up by the crowd. Wizards and witches all clad in identical black robes surrounded us, each seeming to know exactly which way to go and what to do. Helplessly, we stood in the midst of the actihon, unable to figure out our intended destination.<p>

At long last, Al caught a glimpse of a short, dwarf like teacher waving and shouting at the top of his lungs for all first years. We made our way through the horde, all the while being pushed and prodded by people from all sides. When we arrived, the tiny, elderly man introduced himself as Professor Flitwick. He seemed quite relieved as he checked us in, as we were the last to arrive.

I blamed it on Scorpius for taking too long to get in his robes. That tosser…

After, we were ushered into a small boat already occupied by one, mouse-like girl who didn't take the time to introduce herself.

Almost as soon as the boat turned the corner, we caught glimpse of the castle. At first glance, it took my breath away. The architecture, the lights, the way it was framed by the light of the moon … it was absolutely incredible. Any pictures I had seen prior didn't do it justice. And I didn't seem to be the only one who thought so. I quickly stole a glance at both my cousin and Scorpius, noticing that both seemed as enraptured by the castle as I did.

We continued the rest of the ride in complete silence, entranced by the beauty of Hogwarts, and when we arrived at the gates, we were quickly ushered inside. The group of first years quickly diverged onto an alternate path, following Professor Flitwick and few other unfamiliar teachers through a series of passageways. Finally, we all filed into a larger room and after a few minutes of hushed tones and nervous whispering, a cross looking woman who introduced herself as the headmistress quieted us and gave a fleeting welcome before escorting us into a larger room.

_The Great Hall. _

It was incredible. The ceiling seemed never ending, the walls appearing as if they reached up to the night sky. Nothing held comparison. I had never seen such large, sparkling windows or such long, extending tables.

And frankly, I'd never seen that many people.

I stared at the hall in wonder, as if it were something out of a storybook. A stupid grin covered my face, one that I could not recall creating. It was all exactly as I had imagined, just as my parents had told me.

However, I didn't have much time to scrutinize as it wasn't long before headmistress McGonagall placed an old, withering witch's hat (_the sorting hat?) _upon a stool and it…burst into song.

I was so distracted by my own nerves that I didn't pay attention, and I was only shaken from my thoughts when the headmistress shouted out a name.

"Avery, Alice!"

The slight, brunette girl standing in front of me, suddenly singled out, stepped out of line, swallowing nervously and wringing her hands as she walked slowly up to the middle of the Great Hall. I couldn't help but feel for her. I'd hate to be the first to be sorted.

The headmistresses slowly lowered the hat upon Alice's head and it took only a moment before the hat shouted.

"SLYTHERIN!"

The table to the far left erupted, the booming cheers overpowering all other sound. I watched carefully as the girl walked towards the table, seemingly oblivious to the hollering, and sat down carefully, her face as passive as it had been when she first stepped up to plate.

Curiously, I wondered who she was, where she came from, what her story was and…why she was sorted into Slytherin.

I shivered.

As the sorting continued, I found myself zoning out, brown-eyes glazing over as I watched my peers sorted. My stomach rumbled once, reminding me that I hadn't eaten for hours.

"Longbottom, Tristan!" The familiar name shook me out of my dream-like state.

I watched as our family friend stumbled from his place in lines up towards the stool. He sat down awkwardly and I was able to glimpse the red flush of his cheeks before the sorting hat covered them. After only a few seconds, the hat screeched.

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

Tristan practically fell off of the stool and made his way towards the cheering table with a lopsided grin plastered on his face. I smiled, happy to see him pleased with his sorting.

Mentally, I calculated the next letter, feeling a bit silly as I quietly hummed the alphabet song. Just as the next sort-ee dawned on me, his name was called out…

"Malfoy, Scorpius!"

I instantly frowned, willing him to trip as he walked quickly up to the sorting hat. Nonchalantly, I glanced back at Al. He was biting his lips, watching intently, his face giving away no opinion. Narrowing my eyes, I turned back to Malfoy, shooting daggers at him.

As Professor McGonagall lowered the hat onto Scorpius' head, I watched him close his eyes tightly and cross his fingers.

For which house, I'd didn't know.

The hat was completely silent for a moment before bellowing out something that I'm sure no one in that entire hall expected.

"GRYFFINDOR!"

A collective gasp resounded throughout the hall. The faces of both Slytherin and Gryffindor students were priceless, the same shock reflecting upon each expression. After an instant, I watched as my older cousin Louis slowly started to clap. Without hesitation, the rest of the Gryffindor table followed example and began a low applause that increased its volume with time.

My eyes were wide as I watched him walk towards the Gryffindor table. The anxiety from the train reappeared once again as he sat down, looking around at his surroundings as if he didn't know what to say or how to act. For a moment, I sympathized with him again. After remembering who it was, I pushed that feeling aside and angrily turned towards Al.

"Can you believe it?" I whispered sharply, "He's a Malfoy!"

Al was grinning from ear to ear, "Well, I mean if he was sorted into Gryffindor, then he mustn't be all that bad, Rosie."

I shrugged and turned back, watching as the rest of M through O was sorted. As "O'Brian, Reece" was sorted into Ravenclaw, I felt an excited pat on my back.

"I think I'm next, Rose," Al whispered breathlessly, his eyes alight with anticipation.

I smiled at my best friend, grabbing his hand and giving it a tight squeeze as Professor McGonagall called his name. He gave me a quick peck on the cheek before he rushed up to the middle of the Great Hall, almost tripping on his robes as he climbed the steps. Adjusting his glasses, he laughed good-naturedly at himself and sat down on the stool.

I almost didn't need to watch. I knew what was going to happen. Nonetheless, when he was sorted into Gryffindor, I cheered as loudly as I could.

However, I couldn't help but feel a little twinge of jealousy as he sat down by Scorpius and the two commenced in chatter as casual and care-free as it had been on the train.

There were now only about 10 people besides me left. I glanced around, noticing my cousin Roxanne shyly cowering at the back of the crowd. As "Ramsey, Elliot" was sorted, I discreetly tip-toed back to her. She smiled quietly as me, her mouth barley curving upwards from the thin line it had been before. I smiled back and turned away.

Al and I had never been exactly close with Roxanne as she preferred the company of books to people, but she was still family and family came above everything else.

I waited patiently as my peers each had their turn with the sorting hat. Nevertheless, as Melanie Wagner jumped off the stool, making her way towards the Hufflepuff table, I felt my heart rate increase.

"Weasley, Rose!"

My heartbeat pulsed heavily throughout my body as I stiffly walked up towards the stool. For some reason, I was rather queasier than I had anticipated. Biting my lip, I tried to forget that hundreds of eyes were upon me as the headmistress placed the sorting hat upon my head.

Breathing heavily, I shut my eyes, trying to quiet my thoughts and make room for the wisdom of the sorting hat. My mum had told me that the hat would speak privately to the student on occasion and as the seconds ticked by, I assumed it would start talking…

But it didn't.

I peeked out of one eye quickly and saw the entire student body staring back at me, just as baffled as I. I closed my eyes again. If I had to wait here, I'd pretend I was alone as to make sure I wouldn't faint.

And then suddenly, I heard a low whisper at the back of my mind.

However, before I had time to process, the hat shouted out the single word that changed my life forever.

"SLYTHERIN!"

I froze.

It was as if I had been punched in the chest. I was numb. I had no feeling besides this all unfamiliar ache pulsing throughout my entire body. I suddenly found myself out of breath, unable to recall when I had stopped breathing. I felt cold although I was sure my cheeks were burning brightly.

Not one word was uttered as the hat was lifted up off of my head.

The hushed tones that had been a constant throughout the sorting were suddenly non-existent. It was as if everyone was as stunned as I.

I glanced desperately around the Great Hall, denial coursing through me.

This was all a bad dream.

Dream? Who am I kidding. It was a nightmare.

Al would wake me up within a matter of seconds, laughing and berating me for sleeping in. He would then say that if I didn't hurry up, we'd be late for the Hogwarts Express. Once we got to the train, we'd spend the entire time together, alone, without Mr. Scorpius _I-Like-To-Come-In-Between-Best-Friends_ Malfoy. And then, at Hogwarts we'd both –

I flinched, my thoughts interrupted as the headmistress laid a hand on my shoulder. Glancing back, I saw a pitying gaze.

I frowned. _Pity? Why would she – ?_

My jaw dropped. It was real. This was all real.

The reality of it all sunk in like a stone – hard, cold and fast. I broke the silence and, without thinking, uttered the first word that came to my mind.

"Fuck."

My hand flew to my mouth. I could feel my cheeks heat up and I was quite sure that they had now reddened far past a natural tone. I never swore. Ever.

However, while I was burning up in humiliation, the entire hall burst into laughter. The tension had eased and despite the fact that Slytherin had started whooping and hollering, my legs felt like jelly.

I couldn't move.

The headmistress gave me a firm push which set me off against my will. Stumbling down the stairs, I deliberately looked away from the completely silent Gryffindor table. I couldn't handle seeing the faces of my family. I was quite certain that if I made eye-contact with Albus, I'd burst into tears.

Thoughts raced through my mind.

_Did they hate me now?_

_Would they ever talk to me again?_

I couldn't wrap my mind around anything as I sat down at the Slytherin table. It just felt…wrong. I was out of place and awkward. It took all the control I had to not stand up and move over to where the Gryffindors sat. It took many qualities to be a good Slytherin and being a Weasley was never one of them…

A few people addressed me as I adjusted in my seat but I couldn't offer anything more than one word answers. Vaguely, I wondered if they thought I was dumb. But I just couldn't pay attention to anything. I couldn't keep my focus on any one thing for more than 5 seconds.

My heartbeat hadn't changed one smidge. It still beat heavily and loudly and I was unable to sway it, unable to calm it down.

And then, suddenly, I was angry.

_Why was this happening to me?_

_What had I done to deserve this?_

_I wasn't Slytherin material and I knew it! Everyone knew it!_

_Right?_

Desperately, I reflected back on my sorting, realizing only then that the hat never spoke a word to me. It was so unfair. I wanted to scream and kick and cry all at the same time but I wasn't a baby anymore, I had to grow up and so…I maintained my composure.

Breathing shakily, I shook my head, looked for a distraction and settled for grabbing the last cookie and placing it on my plate.

I stared at it for a moment, almost unsure of what to do with it.

I wasn't hungry anymore.

"You going to eat that?" My neighbor asked.

I glanced beside me, noticing that it was the brunette girl from before…the first one sorted…what was her name again? I struggled to remember.

"Um…he-llooo? Anyone home?" She waved her hands in front of my face.

Shaken from my thoughts, I replied quickly, not wanting to embarrass myself any further, "Yeah sure. You're…?"

"Alice Avery," the girl replied grabbing the cookie from my plate and taking a bite.

"Well, I'm –"

"Rose Weasley," Alice finished for me as she swallowed. "You were just sorted, you know?"

I laughed bitterly, "Yeah, I know."

Alice paused, looking unsure of what to say for a moment before she looked around, leaned in and whispered, "If it helps, I didn't want to be in Slytherin either."

_Huh._

From some reason it had never occurred to me that some people might not have wanted this anymore than I did.

I gave Alice a genuine smile and hesitated before replying, "Then I guess we'll have to stick together."

Alice repaid me with a grin, "I guess so."

After that moment, the brunette girl returned to her dinner. I watched in wonder. How could someone that tiny eat so much food?

I had become so distracted that when I looked up and saw Al staring at me from across the hall, I almost forgot why he looked so upset.

And then it came rushing back to me.

My parents. My family. Their disappointment…

Oh dear Merlin, my father… I was going to be disowned.

Al's eyes bored into me. He looked pained, regretful, almost as miserable as I felt. It offered some solace, that is, until his previous words came back in full swing.

…_if he was sorted into Gryffindor, then he mustn't be all that bad_

Well then, what did that say about me?

I felt a stab of pain in my chest, forcing me to look away as I furiously blinked back tears.

I wouldn't cry if it killed me.

After I regained my composure, I couldn't help but look back. However, instead of returning to Al's gaze, I met Scorpius'.

A level of hatred that I had never experienced before in my 11 years of life surged through me. I was burning all over, unsure of how I was able to keep still. That boy…that **Malfoy **had stolen everything from me.

Sure, I had expected to lose many things when I came to Hogwarts – my immaturity for one. However, the one thing I never expected to lose was my life.

And that was the loss that I felt – hopes, dreams, aspirations…how could they be achieved if I was in Slytherin? I had had a plan, a vision, a path so plainly set out that I could have never predicated it to change.

I watched, my eyes burning as he looked away, guilt lining his pale features. He had taken everything from me. In only one day, Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy had bested me in every way he possibly could. The defeat stung.

I smiled bitterly. It was a complete role reversal.

And the knowledge of that…was agony.

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><p><strong>So how was it? Leave me a review? Thoughts? Opinions? Do you like Rose? Albus? Scorpius? Alice?<strong>

**I'm SO excited to continue this story(: The next few chapter are already written and will be up in a few days. **

**-SpringSinger19**


	2. Another Life

**Hey guys!  
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**Sooo, the song for this chapter is "Another Life" by Third Eye Blind, one of my favorite bands. Go listen!(: The quote for the chapter is:**

"Oh the time goes by and I realize, that I'm alright. You thought nothing would be the same, but life comes 'round again."

**Hope you like this chapter! I'll be introducing other characters, their personalities, ages, etc. Make sure to let me know what you think with a review!**

**-SpringSinger19**

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><p>And then, everything changed.<p>

The first few weeks were just as I had expected – lonely. My friends, my family…they shunned me. And when I had mustered up enough courage to walk over to them, they brushed me off, some acting as if I weren't even there. A few simply pretended that they didn't notice me. Their betrayal was like a knife in the back, it struck true.

Nonetheless, some acted pleasant enough. Victoire, being a 7th year and the eldest of the Potter-Weasley clan, was mature enough to not make quite as big of a deal out of my sorting. The vast age difference prevented any true friendship from forming but Victoire's responsive attitude was a slight comfort. However, her younger sister Dominique was another story. At 15, she was the perfect stereotype of a bitchy, uptight teenage girl. And she knew it. Furthermore, much to her liking, Dominique was a great contrast to her sister. While Victoire was sweet as cherry pie, Dom's words cut like a knife. She was more feared than respected.

And, unlike Victoire, Dominique didn't speak to me. I couldn't figure out if she did it because she was truly repulsed by my sorting or just to spite her eldest sibling. Honestly, I didn't really think she had much of an opinion. She didn't have any known preference for who she exchanged saliva with...so I didn't think she cared much.

Nevertheless, I couldn't find any other excuses for why the rest of my cousins avoided me. Louis and Molly, two third years stuck together as if by glue, avoided me like the plague, giving me death glares whenever I happened to glance their way. Their denial stung. I had no idea I could lose friends so quickly. It just seemed so unfair…I hadn't done a thing.

Fred also mirrored their behavior, but his was more of a muted rejection as his close friendship with James prevented much dismissal. And why was that? Well…James didn't seem to have a problem with my sorting. He waved every time he saw me, teasing me just as he always had – although his new jokes included many jabs at my newfound loyalties. His lighthearted attitude helped keep my head above water – as did the presence of Roxanne.

Her reaction was perhaps the most peculiar of them all. Although, at the time, I didn't notice her sorting due to being preoccupied with a bout of self-pity, I learned soon afterwards that unlike the rest of the family, she was sorted into Ravenclaw. Although later I felt guilty about it, I was happy at the moment to know I wasn't the only outcast of the family.

We became close as the months passed by, finding more in common than I had first believed possible. I learned not to judge a book by its cover as I slowly uncovered Roxanne's true personality.

Her sugary disposition rivaled Victoire's. She was so genuinely sweet that I was suspicious, almost doubting the reality of it for the first few months. And, she was intelligent (duh, Ravenclaw) but far more than I was, which left me insecure and jealous at times. On occasion, she reminded me of my mother, although I could never determine if that similarity was a good or bad one.

And she was there for me in the beginning when no one else was. Roxanne let me wallow in self-pity without a negative word falling from her lips. Her loyalty astounded me and I can honestly say that I don't believe she has ever said a bad word about someone she truly cares about. Roxanne truly felt for me, and that compassion bonded me to her. Of course now I see how selfish I was, moaning about while she was most likely experiencing the same thing. I apologized later on but she merely nodded, never saying a word.

A diamond in the rough, that one was.

Still, my parent's response ranked right up there with Roxanne's. I didn't get a howler from my dad as I had expected, but rather three letters that I oddly received on the same day. The first was a strongly worded composition written by my father expressing his outrage. The second was a letter from my mum, apologizing for my dad and saying that she'd always be proud of me. The third was practically a replica of what my mum sent me but this time, signed by my father. I couldn't help but wonder if she wrote it and he simply signed it.

I was hurt, but still a little relieved that I hadn't been disowned. Because honestly, that was something I was seriously worrying about for a while.

And then, there was Al.

What could I say? Everything changed.

It was as if he had constructed a wall between us. He didn't know what to say to me anymore. When we caught each other's eye in the hallways, he looked as if he didn't know who I was anymore. His accusing stare burned through me, causing a wave of guilt to course through me. I felt like screaming…screaming and telling him that he was making everything so much more complicated than it needed to be. This mental boundary that he had constructed was pointless.

I was still Rose. I wasn't any different than I had been before.

But I kept my cool, I kept my expression blank, never reflecting the chaos within. I wanted to be strong. I didn't want him to know how truly hurt I was.

And then, after a while, I became just as bad as him. I didn't know the words to say. I was tongue-tied, at a loss for words. I didn't know how to express myself to him…pathetic, I know, considering that we were best friends.

So I shoved it all away, pretending I didn't feel, pretending I was perfect…perfectly fine.

But I wasn't.

However, no matter how awful the first couple of weeks were, life went on, just as it always does. My newfound friendships with Roxanne and my roommates Alice Avery and Viviana Zabini helped fill the empty space Al had left. The friendly response I had received within the Slytherin house was a sigh of relief. After a month or so, I began to question my previous assumptions. They really all weren't that bad.

But still, I couldn't push away the hurt that I felt at Al's rejection. And his growing friendship with Scorpius didn't help, only further twisting the knife in my back.

Not only had Scorpius taken my place, he had taken my best friend. The pain that caused was excruciating. I was green with envy, never having been that jealous in my entire life. Within three weeks, I vowed to myself that I would hate Malfoy for the rest of my life. Childish, yes, but for some odd reason, it helped.

And I didn't make his life hell, I didn't even say a thing, though I'm quite sure that my hostile glares communicated my loathing loud and clear.

He had taken everything from me and even if I didn't have the courage to say anything, I sure as hell was going to make him feel bad about it.

* * *

><p><em>5 years later<em>

"Rose," a completely serious Alice Avery began, "I think I'm in love."

I paused midway through my ramblings and looked up inquisitively, a slight smile curving my lips.

Alice wasn't serious, she rarely was. She obsessed about a different boy every week, more out of the amusement and attention she gained from it than an actual interest in the poor boy. It was a little game she enjoyed, manipulating her victim until she tired of the sport and dumped him.

Cruel? Perhaps.

Entertaining? Most definitely.

"With who?" I asked, playing along with her outburst as I returned to painting my toenails, a Muggle hobby Alice and I had recently taken up.

"Elliot Ramsey," she sighed, falling back into her pillows, nail polish and brush in opposite hands. "Did you see him at that last Qudditch match? I was so distracted by how well he played that I almost forgot what I was doing. And those muscles…I mean, dear Merlin, do you know what I would do – ?"

I held a hand up, "Uh, please spare me Alice. I haven't eaten anything today."

The girl laughed, rolling her eyes as she returned to brushing her toenails with a bright shade of sunshine.

"You know, one day or another, some guy is going to figure out your game and dump you first," I continued.

Alice rolled her eyes, "Not going to happen. Guys think with their dicks before their heads. I haven't met one who hasn't. You're too negative."

I frowned, "Well, you're too positive!"

"That's me, Little Miss Sunshine!" Alice winked at me and blew me a kiss with her free hand.

I simply shook my head in response, putting the brush back into the bright red bottle of nail polish. I leaned over my legs and just as I was about to blow on my nails, the door burst open. Alice jumped in front of me, accidentally knocking over the little yellow bottle onto her bed.

"Aww bollocks!" Alice exclaimed, leaning back against the headboard of her bed, staring pathetically at the mark the bright yellow nail polish had left on her emerald duvet.

"Merlin, Alice," a raspy voice began, "couldn't you try putting your clothes away once in while?"

"Watch out Viv, you might turn into Roxanne if you're not careful," Alice laughed and Viviana stuck her tongue out at the brunette in response.

I twisted around, never moving my feet as I smiled brightly at the dark skinned girl who had just entered, "Hey Vivi."

"Hey love," she replied, smiling at me as she made her way through Alice's mess to her bed.

"Ugh, Viv, I can't believe you made me spill!"

"You'll get over it," Viviana shrugged, sitting down on the edge of her bed as she took off her tennis shoes.

Alice pouted, picking up the nail polish and placing it carefully on her bedside table.

"Let me guess," I started, copying Alice's actions, "you were out running?"

"Yep."

"God, why the hell do you do that to yourself?" I asked, disgusted, "It's a Saturday morning."

"Well, you have to work for this body, babe," Viv replied dramatically, winking at me.

I laughed, rolling my eyes as I walked over to my own bed and laid down, smiling.

Truth be told, no matter how desolate I had been at the start, things really hadn't turned out that bad. After the initial shock, people loosened up. Their discrimination and bias was still expressed in between the lines, but for the most part, things had almost gotten back to normal by 6th year.

I liked to think of it this way – if I had never been sorted into Slytherin, I wouldn't have met Viviana or Alice. They were my roommates, and the three of us were as close as bread and butter.

Although Vivi and Alice butted heads on multiple occasions, they resolved their arguments as quickly as they started them. They were both confident and poised.

But, despite the similarities, the two were their own person. Alice, however, was definitely the most abrasive. Her witty, well-placed sarcasm almost challenged mine. Mind you, I said almost. And despite her gentle appearance, she was rough and to the point, never beating around the bush – her personality perfectly mirroring her performance on the Qudditch field. She jumped into things head first, fiercely positive about the outcome. Despite her super model legs and obsession with the opposite sex, she was a tomboy through and through.

She even hated puppies.

Well, not just puppies. Alice hated animals in general. She always declared that they "ate too much" and were "too messy," upon which Viviana would ask innocently if Alice were an animal and subsequently get a pillow to the head.

Clever and beautiful, Viv was perhaps the most mischievous of us three. She knew she was gorgeous and she liked to use that against the male population of Hogwarts. She was like a siren, from the moment she parted her lips, she had them under her control. However, unlike Alice, she didn't use her talents for quick flings, instead preferring longer, yet equally meaningless relationships. Vivi was a perfect Slytherin, ambitious and manipulative, so much so that it unnerved me from time to time.

In great contrast to Alice, she wasn't straightforward and preferred to keep her true feelings, thoughts and emotions covered by an icy mask. She was intimidating at first, I have to admit, but I knew the true Viviana and that girl was nothing like the ice queen she made herself out to be.

And then…well then there was me. The negative, sarcastic control freak of the group. Oh, I'm also a perfectionist.

And I have red hair.

Personally, I found myself a little closer to Alice than Vivi, as I found her a bit more trustworthy and we had more in common.

Now, don't judge, but we both had an odd sort of fascination with Muggle creations. Not to the extreme of granddad Weasley of course, but our dirty little secret (Slytherin, hello!) was notable. A day didn't go by that Alice wasn't on her electric guitar. I swear, sometimes, she spent so much time on it that I got a bit jealous, secretly nicknaming the thing Scorpius.

Then again, I was never happier than when she would play alternative Muggle music, so I couldn't hate it too much.

Nevertheless, my friendship with both Vivi and Alice emulated what I had lost with Al.

The three of us bonded in first year, our loud personalities meshing surprisingly well together. We considered ourselves lucky; there was an uneven number of Slytherin first years and so only the three of us bunked together. Having a spare bed actually turned out to be quite useful sometimes. And anyways, I doubt we could have tolerated another person. We all annoyed each other enough as it was.

"Hey, do you guys want to go get lunch?" Vivi asked from the opposite side of the room, her stomach rumbling. "I'm starving."

"Same!" Alice replied, sitting up quickly.

I snorted, "When aren't you hungry, Alice?"

She feigned offense, "Are you calling me fat?"

"Oh please," Vivi rolled her eyes, "you know you're the skinniest one here. Don't even try, miss-I-weigh-7-stones!"

Alice laughed, looking pleased with herself. The little attention whore…

"You don't even deny it." I sighed, "But anyways, it's too early."

"It's 11!"

"What really?"

"Yeah."

"Ok, you win."

* * *

><p>The three of us, each clad in our matching winter-wear, made our way into the Great Hall. Over the years, it hadn't changed one bit. I couldn't say the same about myself, but it was nice that something had remained constant in my life.<p>

We forced ourselves against the traffic, roughly pushing the younger students aside as they attempted to exit.

Merlin, I loved being an upperclassman.

Finally squeezing through the doors, we winded our way through people towards our regular spot at the Slytherin house table. As usual, I ignored the neighboring Gryffindor table, afraid of glancing over and seeing Al…or Scorpius.

However, just as I was about to make my way over to my familiar home base, a foot stopped me. I looked down, dazed for a moment, wondering how it had gotten there before a laugh interrupted my tired thought process. I looked up to none other than James Potter. Leaning back against the table, arms splayed out casually and arrogantly, he conveyed a challenge to the whole world.

"You really need to watch where you're going, Rosie," James began, smiling cheerfully as he drew me away from my friends. I glanced at them apologetically before sitting down.

"Hardy har har, you sod, you know I'm not a morning person," I shook my head, defeated. "What do you want?"

James feigned insult, "Why do you always assume I want something? Perhaps I just want to catch up with my sweetest cousin!"

I rolled my eyes, smiling slightly, "Sweetest cousin? Really? If you're going to lie to me, at least come up with something half-convincing."

James opened his mouth to reply but I put my hand up, continuing.

"But if you want small talk, I'll give it to you," I said, patting him on the leg. "First off, I'm fine, thank you, although a bit tired. The weather is far too cold, even for winter in Scotland. And, hmmm, let's see…yes, I am terribly disappointed in the performance of the Chudley Cannons this season. Will that do?"

James laughed, his eyes alight with amusement and admiration, "I think you might be my favorite cousin, Rose."

"You think?"

"I know," he corrected himself quickly.

I laughed, letting the pleasant moment sit between us for a few seconds before continuing, "But, anyways, how's Al?"

James cast me an odd look, "You know the easiest way to figure that out is to ask him yourself."

"Like that'd go over well," I gave him a dark look, this was a sore spot for me.

Truthfully, the only thing that never exactly worked itself out was my friendship with Al. Even after 5 years, it never healed, only worsening with time. We spoke less and less each month, getting to the point where we barely spoke more than a word a day. And it still hurt even after so long…because he didn't seem to care, replacing me with Scorpius as easily as he rejected me.

"If you'd just try maybe –"

"Not gonna happen, James," I cut him off sharply.

He sighed, "I still don't get it."

"Shit happens. People grow apart," I shrugged, my direct tone signaling a change of topic.

James nodded and after a moment of consideration, he began, "Well, if you must know, he's rather heartbroken. They say the first heartbreak is always the worst. Ugh, if Alyssa Macmillan wasn't a girl, I'd beat the living daylights out of her."

I gave him an odd look, "If Alyssa Macmillan wasn't a girl, I'm not sure Al would've dated her…him?"

James laughed before continuing, "But other than that, he's fine. Same as he always is."

"Thanks bud," I nodded, "so what was is it that you wanted?"

James' posture suddenly changed, his eyes taking on a puppy-like demeanor.

"Well, I was wondering," he began, an air of mischief coloring his tone, "if might you have plans for next Friday night?"

"James," I began, falsely affronted, "I'm flattered but we're family, what would our parents say?"

James pretended to gag, making such a convincing retching sound that I was sure the first year beside him thought he was about to puke. I whacked him warningly. He sat up straighter, giving me a playful wink that caused me to roll my eyes.

"But seriously, Rose."

"Seriously what?"

"Seriously what are you doing?"

"Oh," I began, narrowing my eyebrows as I tried to remember my schedule, "I think I'm free. Why?"

"And your," he paused, glancing nonchalantly towards the Slytherin table, "friends?"

I smiled, suddenly understanding what this was all about, "Yes. I'm sure they're available."

"Well," he continued, grinning, "Fred is hosting a party after-hours in the Gryffindor common room and I was wondering if you and your…ah…friends wanted to come."

"You know if you want to ask out Viviana you should just do it."

The two were friends themselves, having developed a companionship soon after mine with her. Whenever I asked either about it, they'd just laughed and mention something about bonding over mandrakes...I never investigated further.

James sighed, deflating a bit, "Am I really that obvious?"

I nodded, "Yeah. Well at least to me."

"Ahh bugger."

"Well, don't you worry, because I'll help you out," I told him. "Family is family."

James' face lit up but before he could reply, I continued.

"But if you break her heart, I'll beat the shit out of you and you won't be able to do a thing about it."

"Well, I don't know about that, Rosie…"

"Don't test me."

"Oh, I won't."

I smiled slightly. James Sirius Potter was an odd individual. He liked people to believe he was a confident, impenetrable, emotionless sex god but he really wasn't. Not that many people actually believed that…or at least the ones who had met him…well, that's just my opinion. I had a lot of respect for him, considering he had always been there for me (unlike his prick of a brother) but he really was…unique.

I sighed, "You know, sometimes I wonder how you even have friends."

Not even inquiring on my out-of-the-blue question, he replied automatically, "Maybe because I'm ridiculously handsome?"

I rolled my eyes, standing as I wondered just how many times he had been the cause of that reaction today.

"Aww no, Rosie, don't leave me alone," James pouted, folding his arms.

"How about you go sit with all of your friends?" I asked, smirking as I walked away, "Oh wait…"

"I hate you, Rose."

"You love me!" I shouted back at him, shaking my head as I sat down by my friends.

"What was that about?" Viviana asked, craning her neck to catch a glimpse of the departing James Potter.

"Eh," I began, grabbing a few chips, "nothing really, he just –"

"I can't believe it!" A voice exclaimed from behind me, "I simply can't believe it."

I turned around to face the pixie-like Roxanne Weasley, her cheeks burning as she sat down beside me, but not before she scanned the seat to assure its cleanliness.

She was mildly O.C.D, not a big deal but, on occasion, I found her insane hygiene irritating. She never even visited our dormitory due to its chaotic, disorganized state. Alice had a bit of a soft spot for Roxanne and found it adorable.

I found it annoying.

"What happened?" Vivi asked, leaning in, eager to hear the early morning gossip that she fed off.

"Tristan Longbottom!" Roxanne cried, "That's what happened!"

"What did he do?" I asked, slightly alarmed.

"He asked me to go with him to Hogsmeade, that's what he did!"

Alice choked on her water as Viviana and I burst out into laughter.

"You have **got** to be kidding me," Alice snorted after regaining composure.

"I wish I was," Roxanne replied in dismay, "I was mortified."

"I mean he's just so…" The poor girl struggled to find kind words, "filthy…have you seen the way he eats?"

"Yeah! He's just like Alice!" Vivi contributed brightly just before being wacked on the head by her friend.

"You don't seem to have a problem with the way his father eats," I commented casually, pretending not to notice as Roxanne's blush deepened.

Recognizing the tension and not wanting to confront one of Alice's nosy questions, I switched back to the earlier topic, "But what I'm wondering is where the hell he found the balls to do that."

Vivi sniggered in response, but Roxanne kept quiet, unsure of what to say. She was too empathetic to say a bad word about Tristan but she was too spineless to defend him against any one of us.

"It's not funny, Rose," She frowned. I could tell it was a little hard for her to disagree.

"Ehh, it's a little funny," Vivi replied, grinning as Alice and I struggled to contain our amusement.

Roxanne groaned and put her head back in her hands.

"Well, what did you say?" Alice inquired.

"No! Of course!" Roxanne replied quickly, "But I was very nice about."

"What, did you tell him? You were too busy to focus on a relationship or some bullshit like that? I use that one all the time," Alice continued, glancing at me, humor alight in her eyes.

"No, I told him I only thought of him as a friend."

"Ouch, that's direct." I said, "He's practically a relative, Roxanne, I hope you know you'll be seeing a lot of him at family gatherings."

"Ewww, incest," Alice scrunched her nose up.

Viviana giggled, "What the hell, Alice?"

"Well that's it to! It is practically like dating family," Roxanne shivered.

At that, I was instantly reminded of my earlier conversation with James.

"Hey, do you guys want to go to a party?"

My friends looked at me inquisitively, curious.

"Well, that depends…" Vivi began.

"Sorry, that was random," I apologized before continuing, "but that was what I was talking about with James earlier. Fred is hosting a party for god knows why and James invited us all."

I looked pointedly at Viviana, searching for a reaction but nothing came, her expression was completely blank.

"When is it?" Alice asked the logical question.

"Oh, um," I struggled to remember, "next Friday, I believe."

"Then I can't," Roxanne shrugged, "I have a study session with Gatlin Corner."

"A study session?" Vivi raised her eyebrows suggestively, causing Roxanne to blush.

"Yes," she replied tersely, "a study session."

Vivi and Alice exchanged a knowing look.

"Well, I can't go either," Alice replied, smiling mischievously, "I have my own…ah…_study session_ with Elliot."

Viviana burst out into laughter and even I couldn't help a small smile. Roxanne, however, looked slightly embarrassed.

Now don't judge too quickly, it wasn't as if Alice was opposed to love, she just never found anyone who filled out the mental component of her perfect-man checklist.

Needless to say, she found many that met her physical standard…

"Oh get over it Roxanne," Vivi snickered, "and I think I can go."

I stared at her for an instant, trying to read her motives, but after a moment of unsuccessful mind-reading, I spoke, "Then I guess I'll go too."

James Potter owed me big time.

* * *

><p><strong>Ahh man, I loved writing this chapter, especially the interaction with James. I kind of love him. We'll be seeing a lot of him.<strong>

**So did you like? Let me know with a review? It really speeds up the writing process. I swear(: I'd love to know your thoughts on Alice, Roxanne and Vivi. Who's your favorite? I know Alice mayyy seem like a total bitch but give her some time to develop and I swear you'll love her as much as I do(; And I didn't talk much about Vivi but I'll expand on her character later! **

**-SpringSinger19**


	3. Wasted

**Thanks for the positive response(: I'm so glad you liked it! **

**This chapter's song is "Wasted" by Goldfinger. Look it up, I love it(: So lighthearted, hahaha! And it really fits this chapter. The quote is:**

"I'm so wasted again, black out dont know where I've been, I couldn't admit that I was wrong, I didn't fit in, didnt belong, I was young, I was stupid, a life of despair, I was proud, I was angry, I just didnt care."**  
><strong>

**So this is a really fun chapter and I had an incredible time writing it so I hope you enjoy! It begins at Fred's party…just an FYI in case you can't figure it out yourself(; haha**

**-SpringSinger19**

* * *

><p><em>Six days later<em>

"Do you know karate?" A voice whispered into my ear.

I whipped around, my heart racing as I came face to face with none other than a very rosy cheeked Tristan Longbottom. Sighing, I loosened my death grip on the red plastic cup in my right hand, rather relieved. That was, until his question processed…

"Um," I replied, suddenly feeling rather awkward, "noo…why?"

"Cuz, your body," Tristan began quietly, looking oddly off-balance, before a sudden, unexpected roar escaped his throat, "IS KICKING!"

Horrified, I took a step backwards, looking around to see if anyone else had heard (which they most definitely had), a thousand thoughts suddenly racing through my mind.

Tristan Longbottom was drunk. Actually…completely and utterly shit-faced was more like it.

How the fuck had that happened?

Wait, nevermind that, how the hell had he even gotten himself an invite to Fred's party? I mean, no offense, but Tristan wasn't exactly a social butterfly…

"Is there a mirror in your pocket, Rosie?" He slurred, interrupting my thought process as he moved closer. "Cuz I can see myself in them."

I fell further backwards, completely creeped out by how serious he sounded. For a moment, I was even frightened for my well-being…that was until I remembered that it was Tristan Longbottom who was hitting me.

I might have laughed…if it hadn't been so disturbing.

"You know, if I could rearrange the alphabet, I'd put U and I together," he whispered, his sad attempt at a wink almost as humorous as it was pathetic.

Unable to decide the best plan of action, I glanced desperately around the room, searching for anyone…a cousin, a family friend (and no, at the moment, Tristan did not count), a sibling…but I couldn't find one.

_Damn. My family breeds like rabbits…Usually, I'm having trouble shaking off a relative (James), not trying to find one…son of a bloody trollop…when I get my hands on that boy's neck there's no telling what I'll do…and Vivi! Why did she have to leave me alone with Mr. Billy no-mates…?_

My thought process is off-balance when I'm under stress...Don't judge.

But this was just so typical, just…something that **would** happen to me. And I knew, _I knew it_ coming into this party. It was the same thing every time I accompanied Viviana to something like this. She ditched five minutes in and left me alone to subsequently get hit on by a completely pissed stranger for the rest of the night.

Torture. Complete and utter torture. That was what this was. Why I had agreed to subject myself to this kind of torment again, I could not remember.

Oh wait, no, I did.

_James…that little fucker…_

"Would you touch me?"

My head snapped up.

"Excuse me?" I hissed.

Tristan's blue eyes widened, becoming suddenly quite…watery…In a matter of seconds he had gone from giving off the vibes of a pedophile to a blubbering baby…

_Way to go, Longbottom. That takes some talent._

"I – I only want to," he stuttered, searching for the right words, all the while never taking his frightened eyes off of me. _Damn_…the way he looked at me was as if I had suddenly grown horns… "w-want to tell my friends I've been touched by an…an angel."

_Where does he get this shit? _

"Ok, Longbottom," I began forcefully, completely through with being all friendly and agreeable, "you better back away slowly before I start to bite."

A rose has its thorns…what can I say?

For an instant, he froze, his face completely blank…signaling the calm before a storm.

And just when I recognized that, he burst out into ugly tears and instead of backing away like I instructed, threw himself at me, draping his large arms over my shoulders.

_Bloody hell. _

We had an audience. I glanced around desperately, thinking that, surely, one of them would help.

But it wasn't until I noticed Fred in the midst of them that a flicker of hope sparked in me.

However, upon further study, he seemed to be smirking, pleased with my current situation. I felt a stab of pain. But, the hurt quickly turned to fury as I had a sudden urge to walk right up to that wanker and demand why he had invited me if he didn't like me so much. That was…until I remembered that James had invited me, not Fred. And Fred was a total follower.

I frowned.

We hadn't ever been particularly close, even less so after my sorting, but I never expected him to abandon me when I needed help…I didn't think his prejudice would go that far.

I mean, I experienced all the same things as he had. I had grown up in a similar, strictly-Gryffindor environment. I'd even say that my father was more bigoted than his. I'd had it hammered into me since day one that Gryffindor was the way to go, and that even Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff would barely be tolerated.

But over time, I was able to at least partially accept my sorting. So why couldn't he?

I was able to see and understand the reasons behind it, though it took me awhile to admit that. And, if I was being honest, being placed into Slytherin was not necessarily bad. It just simply emphasized that you were closest to the darker elements of one's personality, those that can't immediately be pinpointed as beautiful until you have really delved deep into yourself and seen how they truly attribute to the core of who you are.

Slytherin's are known for their ambition, their drive and their competitive nature. These qualities can force us to horrible, albeit great, deeds but the problem starts where people forget that good things can also emerge from such assets.

And that logic is the reason that I understood my placement, because that is who I am. I'm competitive and bitter about defeat, so much so that it occasionally drives me to anger. This results in things that may label me as a stereotypical Slytherin, but, do not define me.

And although that is why I felt like I was rejected for so long, a misconception on what truly makes a Slytherin, I didn't understand why some of my family **still** couldn't see past that.

An example of one of those people…Fred

_Aww fuck…why…why oh why did I come to this __**Gryffindor**__ party?_? I felt increasingly stupid with every passing second.

Longbottom sobbed into my shoulder, his words completely incoherent, his breathing erratic and his chest heaving up and down every so often.

Awkwardly, I pat his back, comforting him quite flatly with a, "There, there."

Unable to handle the physical and mental weight, I dragged him over to a bright red couch, laid him down and began to make my not-so-sneaky exit.

"Rose!" His voice cracked.

What was it about me that people felt like I would comfort them? Why did they feel like they could spill their darkest secrets to me and I wouldn't tell? I'm not that trustworthy…and I wasn't really all that nice of a person, I mean I was a Slytherin. Why couldn't they stereotype me as a total insensitive bitch to? Why did some people seem to think I was a saint? I could barely handle my own tears, let alone other people's. Maybe they thought I was too much of a wimp to write them off…which was true…

I turned around slowly, defeated.

"What?" I was too exasperated to be angry anymore.

"Please."

"Please what?" I asked lamely, sitting down as far away from him as I could.

"Don't…leave?" He looked as confused as I felt.

I nodded awkwardly, "Um…ok."

For a moment, we sat in silence.

Well…not really.

There was sound everywhere. In fact, I'm sure my ears would still be ringing tomorrow, it was that loud. I was actually surprised that the party hadn't been shut down yet. People were everywhere, yelling at the top of their lungs in failed attempts to out voice the blasting music. I even thought I heard James' booming voice from the other room, screaming at some unfortunate individual to _CHUG! CHUG! CHUG!_

But the two of us were silent. I preferred it that way, and just as I was betting on how long that would last, he spoke.

"You and Roxanne are close, right?"

It all suddenly made sense.

_I hate my friends. I hate my friends. I hate my friends. I hate my friends. I hate my friends. _I chanted the thought within my mind as I replied calmly, "Yes, why?"

"Did she tell you," his voice broke off and he suddenly became quite unstable again, "why…w – why she wouldn't…go?"

_Aww bugger… _I stood up quickly, not wanting to be covered in the enormousness that was Tristan Longbottom again.

"Well, um," I replied uneasily, not needing clarification on where he wanted her to 'go', "she doesn't have…time for a boyfriend."

At the look on his face, I could tell that even Tristan thought that was a lame excuse…and he was piss drunk by the look of his trousers.

Within a matter of seconds, he burst back out into sobs, falling face down onto the couch and covering it with the expanse of his body.

_Why am I stuck with this right now? _I thought desperately, looking for an escape. _I don't need this…this isn't my problem. Rejection happens. Life goes on. And if you can't get over it…well life isn't for wimps._

At that thought, I suddenly felt a wave of guilt that brought me back to Longbottom's side.

_Fuck my conscience. _I thought as I rubbed his back.

I sighed and began to comfort him. But, as Tristan wept, I took the time given to examine my surroundings.

In all truth, the Gryffindor common room really wasn't quite as spectacular as I had imagined it back in my 1st year. I know, I know, my visit was long delayed, but honesty, I don't think I could have mustered up the courage to visit the place until at least my 4th year and, even then, I never had the opportunity. Most parties were held in the Room of Requirement.

Unsurprisingly, the room was completely covered in red and gold. Red carpets. Gold drapes. Red couches framed with gold. And there were lions everywhere too. Lion shaped doorknobs. Lion shaped chair legs. I even think I saw a lion shaped ash tray…?

Taking it all in for the first time, I couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to live here, to spend my evenings here, relaxing in an armchair, chatting with friends all clad in red and gold…

A large snore struck me from my thoughts.

_Thank Merlin…_

Carefully, I stood praying that Tristan wouldn't wake up. He didn't…luckily. As I tip-toed away (although I don't know why I did, it wasn't like I could make any sound that overpowered the general buzz of the party), I decided that it was probably the best thing to happen all night.

Walking away, I realized I didn't have anything else to do. Sighing, I made my way over to the refreshment table and grabbed a new cup, since I couldn't remember what happened to the first. I filled it up with some good old Ogden's Firewhiskey and took a swig.

It was disgusting. Just as I had expected.

When I finished, I stared blankly at the empty cup…debating with myself.

_Being drunk is really fun._ The devil on my shoulder commented.

_But you're alone at a party full of Gryffindors. _The angel retorted.

_At least, they're not Slytherins. _The devil replied.

I laughed out loud at my inner dialogue, causing some stray Ravenclaw 7th year to cast me quite an odd look.

Oh, if only the world could hear what I was thinking…

Actually on second thought that would probably be a bad idea.

A very, **very** bad idea.

* * *

><p>I couldn't move.<p>

There was a wall in front of me. A hard, unmoving, brick wall.

_Huh. How did it get there? _I wondered silently to myself, my mind all over the place.

My eyesight was greatly impaired, my head was spinning and I couldn't concentrate on anything for more than a second. My eyes kept going out of focus and nothing sounded better than a nap at that very moment.

Yes, I was definitely drunk.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, underage drinking is bad and all that, I know but…sometimes, it's fun to let the devil in me win.

Suddenly, I took what I believed to be my hand and pushed against the wall, it was softer than I first believed…well that was funny…

"Ouch."

_Oh shit, it speaks. _

"Yes, I guess I do."

"I – I said that out loud…?" I asked slowly, tasting each word in my mouth…all of which tasted unsurprisingly like Firewhiskey…and chicken?

The figure (_wall? Do walls talk?) _in front of me nodded, causing me to burst into uncontrollable laughter that only stopped when I forgot why I had started in the first place.

I looked up, opening my eyes as wide as they would go in an attempt to let the world fall into focus.

_I must look odd. _I thought as my eyes fixated. _I probably look like a bug…buzzzzzzz buzz—no! Don't get distracted. Look. Wall. _

And that was exactly what I did. As my eyes focused, I cocked my head to the side in examination. The wall looked oddly similar to Scorpius Malfoy…_they could be twins_…

I didn't really like the wall anymore.

"Wanna know a secret?" I slurred, getting closer to him as to make sure he would hear…after all, I wasn't sure I could hear myself and if I couldn't hear me then why would he hear me…?

"Sure. But first let's sit down before a certain someone falls over," the wall sighed, grabbing me (_walls have arms? Huh. You learn something new every day)_ tightly by the wrist and dragging me over to an armchair.

Oh, man it was comfy, if I turned my head to the side just like that and I –

_No, secret. Don't. Get. Distracted._

I swear, I develop A.D.D. whenever I'm drunk…

"Secret!" I shouted out, and then looked about me embarrassedly before bursting out into laughter.

_I like laughing…_ I though dizzily. _It's fun…kind of like having a seizure…except they aren't fun…and I wouldn't know, I've never had one… _

"Yes, secret," the wall sighed, crouching down beside me.

For a moment, I was confused by sudden deja-vu. Hadn't this all happened before…but the other way around…?

"Scorpius Malfoy is a thief!" I yelled, or maybe I didn't…I couldn't quite tell.

The wall raised an eyebrow. _An attractive eyebrow…Can eyebrows be attractive?_

"But don't tell anyone," I whispered, leaning in, "it's a secret."

"And what exactly did he steal?" The wall asked, suddenly seeming a lot more interested in me than before.

"My life," as if it were the most obvious answer in the world, I rolled my eyes, and instantly regretted it. Not a good idea as the world subsequently began to spin.

I tried standing up to regain my bearing (doesn't quite make sense sober but then it seemed like a really great idea then).

"Listen, Rose," the wall spoke quickly, "you need to lay down. You're really drunk right now and if you don't sit down, you might hurt yourself. And then James –"

I stopped listening.

_The wall really talks too much. _I thought, awkwardly trying to piece together what I thought was reality. _It needs to shut up. _

And so, I kissed him as that seemed to be the only logical response at the time.

God, I really was an idiot sometimes.

For a second, he was unresponsive, frozen, and I felt my drunken self about ready to break down in tears. However, just as I was trying to figure out how to go about that while my eyes were closed and my mouth was on his, he kissed me back.

It felt…nice. Or at least, I think it did. I can't exactly remember.

As his hands wrapped around the back of my head and tangled into my hair, I pulled him closer to me, easing my mouth over his. It felt perfect, as if we had done it a hundred times before. Scorpius responded eagerly, pressing his mouth fiercely against mine. I groaned and pulled him closer, but he just couldn't get close enough.

It was as if a flame was ignited by the touch of our lips, a spark that continued to grow with time. As our mouths pressed against each other, we succumbed to our animal like urges and left all rational thought behind. The kiss was electrifying and despite being completely wasted, I don't think I've ever had a better kiss. It was just…perfect. Passionate and tender all at the same time…I don't think I had ever felt so desired in my entire lifetime. His lips were soft and the way they caressed mine seemed to slow down time, well, that and the alcohol.

We came up for air, only pausing a moment to lock eyes.

_I didn't know walls had green eyes…_

It was my last coherent thought before I blacked out.

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><p><strong>Looks like someone forgot to breath…oh Rose…haha(:<strong>

**Well I hope you enjoyed that! I loved writing it. Sorry it's a bit sorter but it is what it is!**

**So what do you think? Mind you, Scorpius isn't perfect and he IS a teenage boy so don't be too hard on him for giving in and taking advantage of Rose(;**

**What do you think will happen next? What do you want to happen? Leave me a review(:**

**-SpringSinger19**


	4. Eet

**I just can't stop writing(: I love this story. **

**The quote for this chapter is from the song "Eet" by Regina Spektor. **

"It's like forgetting the words to your favorite song. You can't believe it, you were always singing along. It was so easy and the words so sweet. You can't remember; you try to move your feet."

**I hope you enjoy! Remember to leave me a review! Suggestions, opinions, anything!**

**Oh and sorry about all the swearing. Rose has just been under pressure and really tempered in the past two chapters. And sorry about the bird rant hahaha it's kind of an inside joke with myself(;  
><strong>

**-SpringSinger19**

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><p>I woke up to a familiar thought.<p>

_I fucking hate birds._

They were the bane of my existence. I repeat, the very **bane** of my existence.

And being an insomniac, it was always hard enough for me to get to sleep without those stupid Mary-Poppins-like chirping freaks tweeting at me all throughout the night.

I couldn't comprehend it. They just wouldn't shut up…Didn't they ever **sleep**?

I wouldn't be feeding those things anytime soon…sorry, Muggle reference.

Comes from having a Muggleborn mother.

Oh and let me tell you, no matter how hard it is for me to get there, I love my sleep. I **need** my sleep. And no, I'm not going to drink caffeine but it's not that I don't like it, cause I really do. I'm just short enough as it is. Viviana and Alice always laugh at me because they practically live off it, but both are nearing 6 feet tall so they can't say anything.

They make me feel like a midget sometimes. It sucks.

And you know, it's bloody difficult to be intimidating when you're shorter than half of the people that you're trying to intimidate.

Ever tried that? Doesn't work all that well.

I hate tall people…

Sorry, I'm getting sidetracked.

Birds.

…

Right.

Who even likes them anyways?

They're just little annoying shits that eat and chirp so goddamn loudly, I can't see why anyone would like them. They're disgusting creatures. In my opinion, they need to be disposed of, eradicated and driven into extinction before they cause another unlucky insomniac like me a restless night and a failed exam.

In fact, I'm proud to say that I did the world such a favor once.

Now, now, don't get your knickers in a twist, I didn't use an Unforgivable. I was simply studying for my last O.W.L. and couldn't concentrate.

Soooo, I may have…opened the window, paralyzed the thing and broken the branch it was perched on.

What can I say? I'm a Slytherin.

Ok…that was a really lame excuse, don't judge.

Anyways, as I woke up that day, the only familiar thing I was confronted with was my hatred for birds.

And that's it.

I sat up groggily at first, slightly off-balance, my head aching. I blinked a few times before rubbing my blurry, half-open eyes. I glanced down at my hands to see smeared makeup.

_Make-up? Why would I wear make-up to bed – ?_

And then it hit me.

I didn't go back to the dungeons the night before.

_But that means…?_

My eyes began to focus, my heart pounding wildly. Terrified, I took in my red gold surroundings, hyperventilating as I spied two Gryffindor boys fast asleep in their beds. Before I could even think about what I was doing, I let out a blood-curdling scream.

Within an instant, everyone had woken up.

Shouting and protests commenced as the boys rolled out of their beds, but I was unable to pay attention. Disconcerted and muddled, my head was a complete and utter mess.

_What happened last night? _I thought vaguely through my horrified screams.

_Was I date raped? Gang-banged? What if they had gotten me __**pregnant**__? I'm too young to be a mother! I'm not responsible!_

I heard a familiar voice shout from behind me, "Shit! Rose!"

I didn't turn around, I was too frightened for my well being.

_No, no, no, no, this is not happening! I did __**not**__ have sex! My vagina feels fine!_

As I ran out of breath, I began to feel faint.

_Ugh, why didn't I listen to my conscience? _

_Karma is a fucking bitch_

Flustered, I grabbed a lamp off of my rapist's bedside table in self-defense and glanced wildly about, my eyes adjusting poorly to the dim lighting. I recognized Al first. He was still sitting in his bed, feeling about for his glasses and looking completely dazed, shocked out of his dreams so suddenly that he didn't seem able to function.

_Al was involved? No…he wouldn't… _I couldn't grasp it.

Still screaming, I clambered off of the bed and stepped on something…alive.

"Ouch!"

I fell back onto the bed in surprise, clutching the lamp to my heaving chest.

I watched in horror as the thing stood, shrouded in the darkness of an early December morning. As it turned around, I took a deep breath, wondering if my life would flash before my eyes…

"What the HELL, Rose?"

It was Scorpius Malfoy.

As our eyes met, my drunken exploits came rushing back to me.

_Oh shit. _

And yet, instead of being embarrassed, (although I was sure I would be later) I found myself bursting with rage.

I jumped off the bed, discarding the lamp as I walked up to him and slapped him straight across the face. With that deafening crack, the room fell into complete silence.

Scorpius stared at me with mixed emotions, fear mingling right alongside confusion.

"Rose –"

"Don't!" I whispered, my voice deathly quiet. "You know, I thought you were a bad guy Malfoy but I didn't think you'd take advantage of a drunk girl."

He instantly began protests, "I didn't –"

"You did what?"

Scorpius and I both looked over, surprised. It was as if in the midst of things, we had forgotten about our audience.

A stricken and completely torn Al Potter looked on. He looked so divided….so unsure of himself.

It reminded me of the way he looked at me after my sorting.

And then, behind him was Lorcan Scamander looking rather somber, a great contrast to his normal, annoyingly bubbly personality.

_Huh, so that was his voice…I thought I recognized it…_

"She's my cousin, Scorp."

I glanced at Al, so incredibly caught off my guard that I found my jaw swinging open. He hadn't acknowledged our kinship in years. He hadn't defended me in years…not that he ever said anything against me but still…

It was nice.

I glanced back towards Malfoy.

Scorpius looked so shocked that it was as if he had forgotten how to speak. However, after a few moments of deadly silence, he recovered and began to defend himself.

"I didn't take advantage of her!"

_Always talking to Al…the arse…_

"Oh sure, talk about me like I'm not here!" I cried, so flustered that I fell back onto Scorpius' bed and put my head in my hands.

Ignoring me, Scorpius continued, suddenly angry and desperate to prove himself, "Well then, why do you think I was on the floor?"

My stupidity hit me like a rock.

_Oh…that was a good point._

I should've known.

No matter what I thought of Al, I knew he wouldn't let Scorpius do that to me. And the entire room would have heard it if he had…taken liberties, so to speak.

I groaned. And I used to think there was a chance that I'd be sorted into Ravenclaw…

Even so, I was determined to not let Scorpius win this fight. This had been a long time coming. I could hold my own in an argument and I wasn't going down so easily.

I opened my mouth, about to bring up the kiss when I suddenly had second thoughts. Something held my tongue back, it just seemed like a very, very bad idea.

So, changing my mind and going for a different angle, I shouted, "Well then why didn't you take me back down to the dungeons?"

He rolled his eyes, making me feel suddenly even more stupid and insecure than before, "I don't know the password, you dimwit."

"Well Viviana was at the party!"

Scorpius sneered and I found myself shivering at the coldness of his stony glare. With a smirk like that, it was a wonder why he hadn't been sorted in Slytherin. He had a natural talent.

But it wasn't that which really threw me off. He just seemed so…hostile. Not that I wasn't most of the time, but it was different with him. And I couldn't help but wonder if we really had kissed the night before. It all seemed like a dream…

"She'd already left with James."

We locked eyes for a moment, a silent dual raging on between our two minds. I glared at him, mustering all the Slytherin I had within to sharpen my icy stare.

And I'm not going to lie, I can be intimidating when I want to be. It's a skill I've acquired over the years. Took a while due to the little height issue, but if anyone tells you that small people can't be scary, don't believe a single word.

However, Scorpius remained seemingly unaffected.

Letting out a frustrated growl, I threw my hands up in the air and stood, walking out of the room without another word. I slammed the door behind me, childish and dramatic but effective. I couldn't stay there a moment longer.

_Oh Merlin, I knew that party was a bad idea._

I practically ran down the staircase, quite keen on getting out of the Gryffindor tower. I didn't look back. I just didn't want to think about it.

As I stumbled into the virtually empty common room, I glanced around in despair, unsure of where to go. As two second years narrowed their eyes at me, I hissed at them and walked away.

I was in no mood to deal with their bitchy, uptight attitudes. If they wanted a snake, they'd get one.

Wretchedly, I stopped, looking around, quite lost. The common room was barely familiar. How the hell was I supposed to get out?

"Need a map, Rosie?"

I jumped, turning around quickly to face the bemused and rather partied-out James Potter. But, it was James Potter nonetheless and his humor was a service offered 24-7.

I was in no mood for it however and so I simply just rolled my eyes and replied flatly, "Show me how to get out or I'll unleash the claws."

"Ohh, it bites."

"I'm serious, Potter," I spat.

At the use of his last name, James' eyes widened considerably. But just as he was about lead me out, a voice called out to us.

"That's right, Weasley, run away from your problems. That'll work," Malfoy taunted, glowering at me.

I whipped around to face Al and Scorpius, standing side by side on the staircase, their eyes locked on me. It seemed as if Locan had decided to stay back.

I always knew he was a smart kid…

"You know, if you're not careful, your face will freeze like that, Malfoy," I mocked him, folding my arms tightly across my chest as I took a step forward.

I would not be daunted.

"Clever," Scorpius replied at the memory, eyebrows knotted tightly as he copied me and took a step closer.

"You know it."

I heard a snort of laughter. Both Scorpius and I looked over sharply at James Potter.

"What are you staring at?" I shouted, shooting him the kind of death glare only rivaled by my mother.

James paused, looking back and forth between the two of us for an instant before replying, "Sexual frustration."

"What?" Both Scorpius and I yelled, disgustedly taking a step away from each other.

James shrugged casually, "I just call it as I see it."

For an instant, there was silence. Malfoy and I stood together awkwardly, almost unsure of how to return to our quarrel.

Luckily, Al did the honors for us.

"James, shut up," he snapped before turning back towards me. "And you! You need to thank Scorpius."

"Thank Scorpius?" I asked, almost speechless with disbelief. "For what?"

"For helping your drunken ass! Not like you DESERVED it!"

I winced at the venom in the voice, being brought back to a time and place I had all but forgotten…

Al…oh Al. He'd always been the quiet child, preferring to observe the conversation rather than contribute. His thoughtful gazes and meaningful silences had even sometimes unnerved me. He seemed to easily sense whatever I was feeling and never hesitated to let me know. It was a puzzle.

Al always knew me better than anyone else. It was as if he could see right through me, right down to the core. And no matter how much I wished it was the other way around, it wasn't.

We were forced together as children, almost instructed to be best friends. Being the same age, it was practically assumed. We were Potter and Weasley. Bread and butter. Peanut-butter and jelly.

Nevertheless, I protested. I always was the rebel child, as proven in my later years. However, his well-placed, clever humor won me over quickly, a pleasing contrast to my own blatant wit. Yet, he was rarely confrontational, unlike me, and that was one reason that I was so surprised by his sudden outburst.

I remember realizing one day long ago that Al didn't like to get angry because he didn't know how to fix things. James had always been the one getting into mischief as a child, so Al rarely had the opportunity to apologize. It served him poorly; as now, he didn't seem to know how to go about it.

But maybe this time was different…maybe this time he wasn't planning on asking for forgiveness…

It was as if he had kept his feelings bottled up for so long that he was, at long last, unable to contain them. He had burst, the quiet, soft-spoken Albus Potter becoming almost unrecognizable.

And that hurt.

It hurt that I didn't know him, and it hurt that he didn't seem to care.

You know, people never really seem to realize what they have until they lose it.

I realized that quickly and, on occasion, I wondered what it would be like if I died, if took my own life. Would my family care? Would Al care? Would they feel remorse, regret? Would they wish that they had treated me better? What would Fred have said? Dominique? Louis, Molly…my own brother? I mean, even he began to treat me with this strange, peculiar distance. Silence had never been his forefront , but when I came back from my first year at Hogwarts, he seemed to hold his tongue all of the sudden…and when he followed me 2 years later, he treated me with cool indifference, sticking strictly to his little band of Gryffies.

The loss of something so familiar and close was an odd thing, as I never even considered the possibility of losing it. And for the first year, nothing but drastic measures seemed like the way to go, the way to regain favor from my family and from Al.

But then again, I was (and am) a dramatic person. So naturally, I had dramatic thoughts. I mean, don't worry, suicide was never a plan, just an option, a thought. A consistent one, but a thought none the less. I mean, it's not as if I ever had the guts to go through with something like that. Cause, let's be honest here, I wasn't a Gryffindor. Maybe if I had been, I'd been brave enough to do it. But if I had been in Gryffindor, I wouldn't have ever had the need to contemplate it.

It was just the aftermath that was so appealing. I know they'd feel sorry. Guilty. Maybe even as bad as I felt those first few years. But then again, it was only the first few years that I had been so dramatic. Because honestly, I was a child. Immature. Juvenile. Very theatrical. Suicide was more of a romantic idea than a literal one. And it was one that decayed year by year.

I took a step forward, countering quietly, "So you barely talk to me for five years and then you just assume that you know me? You're pathetic, Albus Potter. Pathetic. You can't talk about what I deserve or what I don't deserve because **you** **don't know me. **You haven't for years! Not like you give a flying rat's ass! Not like you've given a flying rat's ass since you met Scorpius!"

Al stared at me for a moment. His eyes seemed to look right through me, into my soul. I felt naked for a moment and I wanted to scream at him to _get out of my head_, _to just get the fuck out! _But I didn't.

Self-control…it was a marvelous thing…something that I had been forced to develop.

But just as I thought he was about to say something, he whipped around and ran back up the stairs.

"Oh, so I'm the one who runs away from my problems? Hypocrite…"

James glared at me disapprovingly before turning and running up after his brother.

_Oh great, now he's mad at me too…_

"Don't even start, Weasley!" Scorpius spat, shocking me out of my thought process, "You're always thriving off of people's pity. 'Oh, I was sorted into Slytherin, boo me!' You know, you always talk about how people shouldn't stereotype Slytherins but that's just some good old Rose Weasley bullshit, isn't it? You've stereotyped me since day one just because I'm a Malfoy!"

I froze.

It was true. And I knew it.

Confronted with the fact of the matter, I felt suddenly insecure. It was the first time I had ever really talked to Scorpius…and he had already broken down my walls.

Yes, I knew I wasn't perfect, I knew it but that doesn't mean I didn't lie to myself. It was a pretty façade, the one where I was the hero and Scorpius the villan, and it was one I liked maintain.

But, in just a few words, Scorpius had torn it apart, bit by bit.

My hand itched, oh how I wanted to slap him again.

"And how would you know?" I cried instead, refusing to give in, "You don't even know me! I've barely ever talked to you!"

"Well from what Al's said and the way you look at me, I know enough."

For a moment, I was taken aback.

_Al talked about me?_

I paused.

_Well, on second thought, from the way he said it didn't make it sound all that pleasent._

"Well, then why did you help me?" I retorted.

"Because I'm not my father," Malfoy countered, watching my expression flicker, amusement curling his lips.

After a moment of study, Scorpius turned and began to walk away from me.

_No._

I wasn't going to let him get away that easily. Desperate, I searched for the words.

"Well then why did you kiss me back?" I screamed after him, addressing the elephant in the room, asking the question I had pondered ever since my awakening.

He stared at me for a moment, a thousand emotions flashing across his green-eyed gaze.

"I don't know!" He whispered forcefully, suddenly seeming more angry at himself than at me.

Scorpius held my gaze for a second longer before he turned on heel and walked away, leaving me alone.

Alone and wondering.

Alone and cold.

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><p><strong>AHHH! Intense? I think so. I loved writing it. <strong>

**So tell me your thoughts! Rose, James, Scorpius, Al! I want to know who you like, who you don't and why(: Don't be hard too hard on them, they're all human.**

**-SpringSinger19**


	5. The Fear

**So how did you like the last chapter? It was a little upsetting :( Our poor little Rosie! **

**Anyways, this chapter starts out on the same night, just an FYI**

**The song for this chapter is "The Fear" by Lily Allen.**

"I don't know what's right and what's real anymore. And I don't know how I'm meant to feel anymore. When do you think it'll all become clear? Cause I'm being taken over by the fear."**  
><strong>

**ENJOY(: and review when you're done? Pleaseee?**

**-SpringSinger19**

* * *

><p>After finding a way out of the Gryffindor towers, I ran quickly back down to the dungeons, my illuminated wand guiding me to safety. I practically shouted the password upon locating the walled entrance, my limited patience being severely tested.<p>

I felt as if someone had been chasing me...and I simply had to get away as quickly as possible. This, of course, was absolutely ridiculous, but somehow I couldn't shake the feeling.

As the wall pushed itself aside, I tip-toed through the hole and made my way in.

The ceilings of the Slytherin common room hung low, a greenish glow emanating from the sea-level windows, lighting up the vast space. Ornate, stone arches lined the walls and one large, incredibly showy chandelier hung directly in the center. While the Gryffindor common room had a comforting, homey atmosphere, the stony Slytherin common room was dungeon-like. It was always cold…I hated that but hey, beauty is pain.

Quickly, I winded my way through a maze of black leather furniture and down a rocky stairway into the girl's 6th year dormitory.

"Lumos," I whispered upon entering the dorm, shivering at the cold darkness the room presented me with.

Not going to lie, I'm kind of deathly afraid of the dark…

Ever so quietly, I walked over to my bed, tapping the enchanted nightlight and illuminating the room.

_Trust Alice to take advantage of my absence and turn it off…that bloody Slytherin…_

I crawled under my covers and turned around, spying Viviana and Alice fast asleep within their beds. I almost sighed in relief at the sight of Viv. No sex hair for that one.

Turning over, I laid down on my pillow, closing my eyes.

And as I closed my heavy eyelids, I couldn't help but think about how wonderful sleep sounded at that exact moment…

But it didn't come.

I rolled over in bed, frustrated. Groaning, I sat up, threw off half of the covers and laid back down. But it was to no avail.

Stupid Scorpius Malfoy's annoying face kept popping up in my mind, smirking. Smirking that stupid little…Malfoy smirk.

And he was good at it, I felt considerably worse about myself than I had before.

Moaning, I sat straight up in bed, swung my legs over the side and sneaked over to Alice's bed and shook her awake.

Something I terribly regret.

Never again would I wake up Alice Avery unless I had a death wish.

As soon as I had shaken her from her dreams, she shot up and screamed a jinx at me. It barely missed and I bet if she hadn't been so disoriented, her aim would've been a whole hell of a lot better.

"Ahhh fuck, Rose, what is it?" Alice cried after she regained her mind.

I hit her, motioning towards Viviana. I didn't want to wake the girl up…

Alice nodded and after a moment, her eyes widened in confusion, "Wait, Rose? Why are you here?

"Why wouldn't I be here? This is my dorm too…"

The tiny brunette rolled her eyes, "Yeah, duh. But you didn't come back in last night. Viv and I figured that you must've found some cute little Griffey to take your V-Card."

I hit her, mouth wide open, "You think I'm that easy?"

Alice laughed, "Nah, if you were, you would've already lost it."

I cocked my head to the side, "Uh…thank you…? I think?"

The girl beside me laughed, "You're welcome! Sometimes, I wish I was as innocent as you."

I cocked an eyebrow disbelievingly.

At my expression, she laughed, "Ok fine, you're right. If I wasn't then I couldn't have gotten my freak on like I did with Elliot last night."

"Eww, Alice," I groaned, "didn't need to know that. I'm perfectly fine with being a prude."

"Suit yourself." Alice smiled, and after a moment of consideration, began thoughtfully, "Well, I suppose it's for the best. I mean, boys slither out as quickly as they'll slither in. Vivi learned that the hard way."

Just as I was contemplating the absurdity of her first statement, the last part of her sentence sunk in. "Wait. What?"

"Last night, err, this morning she was making out with your cousin and he, uh, took it a little too far."

I sat quietly for a moment, letting it all marinate before replying questioningly, "Why would that be a problem? She doesn't usually care..."

"Well she did this time."

I stared at her, my mouth agape, "You mean they didn't –?"

"No," Alice shook her head, "Viv stopped him."

I paused for a moment, and before letting me reply, my friend continued.

"I think she really likes him, Rose," Alice whispered, concern flickering across her features, "she was **crying**."

My jaw dropped.

Viviana Zabini **never** cried.

She was the ice queen, in perfect control of her emotions. Rarely did she let her temper get the best of her, something that I had always envied. She seldom expressed her true emotions, hiding them behind a bored expression, the perfect mask. It took years for Alice and I to uncover her true personality, although I had always silently wondered what caused her to be such a private, guarded individual.

And still, even after breaking down the majority of Vivi's walls, I sometimes felt as though I didn't really know her. She rarely spoke of her past and when her father passed away in 4th year, she didn't shed a single tear. And it wasn't like we didn't try…She was just unresponsive, simply ignoring Alice and I whenever we tried asking questions, pretending like no one had said a word.

Frankly, it was infuriating. Sometimes, I found myself insulted that she didn't seem to trust us enough.

"How come we didn't notice?" I asked, suddenly feeling guilty as I glanced over at my friend's peaceful form, wondering if we had tried hard enough.

Alice shook her head doubtfully, swallowing. She looked like she felt as bad as I did.

"But she never…never gets attached," I cried. "And I thought they were just friends…"

"I don't think she wanted this," Alice spoke softly, "maybe that's why she didn't tell us."

I sighed in frustration, "You know, he told me that he wanted to ask her out. Not…get in her pants."

Alice raised an eyebrow. She didn't know James all that well, and his infamous reputation preceded him.

"Well…not exactly. I kind of implied it and then he agreed but that's almost the same thing!"

"Dick."

I wanted to agree, but I felt conflicted about it. Viviana was one of my best friends…but James was my cousin…even if he had chosen Al over me earlier.

"You know, I just saw him," I remembered suddenly, "he seemed completely fine."

_Well, at least he did before everyone started yelling. _But I didn't say that part.

"Oh man, I forgot to ask you, I'm so dumb," Alice's eyes widened, "what happened?"

My eyes darkened as the events of the morning came flooding back in full force.

Kissing Scorpius. Waking up in Scorpius' bed. Quarreling with Scorpius.

Wow, and I had barely said a word to him before that night…

And then, I told Al off and upset James.

So what happened? Huh. Where would I start?

"Well. I guess it started when I woke up in Malfoy's bed," I began tentatively, looking anywhere but my best friend's piercing gaze.

I found myself neglecting to tell her about the kiss, just like I had with Al. I don't know why…but it simply didn't seem real, and I bet if Scorpius hadn't admitted it himself, I wouldn't have believed it happened.

"Malfoy?" My best friend's eyes were huge, "As in Scorpius Malfoy?"

I wanted to roll my eyes.

"Nope. Draco Malfoy," I deadpanned.

For a moment, my best friend looked utterly stricken, before my sarcastic tone sunk in and comprehension flashed across her face.

Alice leaned over and slapped me on the arm, "It's too early for sarcasm, Rose."

"It's never too early for sarcasm," I grinned, winking mischievously.

Alice smiled quietly in response, her eyes still shadowed with a look of concern, "But why, Rose? If you didn't sleep with him, what happened?"

I suddenly grew serious, swallowing anxiously as I bit my lip, unsure of what to say. I rarely ever lied to my best friend, and I was incredibly uncomfortable doing so.

So instead, I simply neglected to tell her the entire truth.

"Well, Viv ditched me like usual so I decided to get wasted and I ended up passing out drunk. I woke up in Malfoy's bed, freaked out because I thought he raped me and started screaming. Turned out he didn't. I got angry and ran down to the common room where James was but they followed. Al shouted at me and then I kind of told him off for barely talking to me for years. He just walked away and James went after him. And then Scorpius yelled at me and…I – I came back here," it all spilled out at once, leaving me breathless, insecure and in need of a reaction.

But Alice just stared at me, not saying a word, her expression blank. After a few moments of silence, I wanted to beat the thoughts out of her. I needed to know what she was thinking…but I wasn't like Al, I couldn't read people.

"I gotta say," the brunette started seriously, breaking the silence, "I'm kinda disappointed there was no hate sex…Scorpius Malfoy is **hot**."

I hit her with my pillow.

* * *

><p>After the two of us fell back asleep, I found myself awake only two hours later.<p>

I groaned, turning over in bed and glanced at the enchanted clock on my bedside table.

It was only 6.

I sighed, sitting up and swinging my legs off the side, standing up. I knew I wasn't going to get back to bed, so what was the use of trying?

I threw on a sweatshirt and some slippers, tied my hair into a high ponytail, grabbed my wand (13 inches, ash with a dragon heartstring core) and made my way out of the Slytherin dormitories.

Hogwarts was just waking up. A few house elves scurried about, making preparations for Sunday morning breakfast, despite the fact that most everyone slept in for it. I even saw a few ghosts and droopy-eyed portraits on my way to the Great Hall, most annoyed with a student being up so early on the weekend.

As I made my way into the Great Hall, I ran into none other than my cousin Roxanne. Few students were up this early and I hadn't counted on a relative to be one of them. I wasn't exactly in the mood to deal with anyone…let alone someone usually as peppy in the morning as Roxanne.

"Rose!" She exclaimed, grabbing me by the arms.

I recoiled. _Ahh. _Her voice was too loud for someone who was nursing a hangover…

"Keep it down, Roxanne," I murmured, rubbing my head as she let go of my arms. "It's the morning."

"Exactly," she replied nervously, "so why are you here?"

"I wanted food," I grumbled, sitting down at a random table. It didn't matter, no one was around besides a lone 2nd year whom I recognized as some Slytherin I tripped over once on my way out of our common room.

Roxanne nodded, agreeing as she sat down beside me. After a minute, I began to study her, noticing obvious anxiety.

_Maybe she had found a stain on her pillow._

But it seemed more serious than that.

She was incredibly anxious and rather restless too, not being able to sit still. There was a feverish gleam in her eyes and from the looks of it, she hadn't slept all night. She looked about ready to hyperventilate. But as to what was keeping her back…I had no idea.

"Roxanne?"

She practically jumped as I spoke, seeming as if she had all but forgotten I was there.

"Are you alright?"

"No!" She shouted, startling the poor 2nd year.

Roxanne looked about anxiously as she lowered her voice. "I did something awful, Rose."

I raised an eyebrow.

Roxanne? Awful? As if…the girl wouldn't harm a fly.

And actually, the one time she did, she ended up crying for hours. Mind you, she was 7 years old, but it was still quite a scaring experience for the gentle-natured girl and everyone around…

"What is it?" I asked, trying to sound concerned.

"I kissed him."

"Kissed who?"

"Kissed **him**."

My jaw dropped. "Wait. You can't mean –?"

This was bad. Very bad.

If the mysterious him was who I thought… thenwe might just be talking about our very own Professor Longbottom.

Yes. As in Neville Longbottom, **father **of Tristan Longbottom.

God really had a twisted sense of humor sometimes…

My poor little Roxanne had been practically in love with the man since second year, when he had saved her from a freak mandrake accident.

First, Viv and James and then the Professor and Roxanne…what the hell was with this mandrake thing? I almost felt a bit jealous that I didn't have some bonding mandrake experience.

Well, anyways, since then, she had been practically obsessed. It was borderline creepy. She was always early to his classes, helped out after-hours and got him a Christmas gift every year. Yes, he was a family friend so the last part wasn't really all that out of the ordinary…but no one else had ever gotten him anything, none of the kids that is.

However, Roxanne had always been incredibly good at hiding it, keeping whatever feelings she had under wraps. I was the only one she had ever said a word about it to. And even that was an accident, caused by a bad exam and a bit too much Firewhiskey.

Yet, being the cowardly little thing that she was, I never expected Roxanne to act on her feelings…only pine away at a safe distance. I was actually quite surprised, wondering how she had mustered up enough courage to do such a thing. In a way, I was almost proud. My little Roxanne Amelia Weasley was growing some backbone.

"How? Why? When?" The questions came pouring out.

I grabbed my cousin's hand as her eyes filled with tears in recollection. I could tell this was hard for her. And if I knew Roxanne (which I did), she was blaming herself for the entire thing, replaying, over-analyzing and playing with a thousand what-ifs.

"I was helping him with the leftover gurdyroot from our last lesson," she began, tears spilling over her cheeks.

_Ahh…bugger. Tears._ I truly was awful at handling tears, but I was determined to suck it up for the sake of my cousin. I may have been a bitch, but I had the self-control to hold it in when I needed to.

"And?" I inquired softly.

"Well, we were in the greenhouse and I – I accidentally tripped," she whispered, her voice shaking as she let out sob.

Roxanne Weasley had completely fallen apart. Frankly, I was surprised that she had kept it in for so long.

"And I fell into him," she continued, her focus erratic, eyesight flickering from object to object quite unevenly.

"And then you kissed him," I finished quietly.

She swallowed glumly, shutting her eyes tightly as to cut off the stream of tears. I watched her carefully, biting my lip before I turned my head, staring off into space, my own thoughts whisking me away.

This was bad. Like really bad.

Beyond my conflict with Al and Scorpius or Viv's fixation on James bad.

What would happen to my friend? Would Professor Longbottom tell people? Tell McGonagall? If he did, would she be expelled? Or what if he didn't tell and everyone just somehow found out. Would he lose his job? What would happen to his wife? Tristan?

_The poor boy would probably do something super dramatic…like try to kill himself…_

I sighed, mentally rolling my eyes. I really needed to stop letting my thoughts carry me away.

"It'll be alright, Roxanne," I reassured her, although I wasn't sure if I even believed myself.

"How do you know that?" She whispered, wiping her red eyes.

"Well, I don't," I replied awkwardly, "but you're a good person, Roxanne. You've no reason for karma to come back and bite you in the arse."

Roxanne nodded slowly and I couldn't tell if she looked comforted or not.

"Thanks, Rose."

"No problem, love. That's what family is for."

* * *

><p><strong>Yeahhh…this ended kind of awkwardly but I couldn't exactly figure out how else to stop it. Didn't really like this chapter that much but it was needed.<strong>

**The next chapter is really important and I had a great time writing it!**

**I hope you liked! Please R&R(: It gives me motivation!**

**-SpringSinger19**


	6. Runaway

**Thanks for the great response(: I love you guys!**

**This is a pretty eventful chapter so I won't bore you with my ramblings! It begins in the Great Hall, 9 o'clock in the morning at breakfast on the same Sunday. **

**The song for this chapter is "Runaway" by Avril Lavigne. Just some old-school Avril that makes me all nostalgic and shit(; haha**

"I just want to scream and lose control, throw my hands up and let it go. Forget about everything and runaway."

**ENJOY!(:**

**-SpringSinger19**

* * *

><p>The next morning was awkward and tense.<p>

It was as if all four of us were at the height of our period, the hormones were completely off the wall.

Roxanne, the poor thing, looked like she wanted to cry the entire time. Her eyes were glassy and every so often, I could tell that tears were threatening to spill over. When the Professor walked in, she squeaked, and I had to physically restrain her in order to keep her from crawling under the table.

I couldn't even begin to grasp how she was handling it all. If I were in her place…well I wouldn't because I have no attraction whatsoever to the man, but if I were, I would've cracked under the pressure. So naturally, I couldn't help but feel for Roxanne…even though I had no idea what I could do to help. The self-control she had demonstrated thus far surprised me, I didn't expect it at all.

Viv, on the other hand, was as stiff as a statue, closed off to all – even herself. She didn't say a word the entire walk to the Great Hall. However, she was in full-on bitch mode and practically bit Roxanne's head off when the girl attempted to be optimistic.

_Note to self: Tell Viv to take it easy on the cousin…(not James)_

And then there was Alice who, thank Merlin, was perfectly fine.

Well, other than the lack of sleep and irritable attitude.

Bad moods really do spread like wildfire…

Me on the other hand…well, I guess I was just trying to ignore my own problems by preoccupying myself with other people's. It was working alright…until James decided to grace us with his presence.

_Stupid git. _

As he walked up, I noticed out of the corner of my eye as Viviana visibly stiffened…if that was possible. Her eyes locked on him, watching his form as sharply and steadily as an animal would watch a predator.

Circe…if looks could kill, James Potter would already be dead.

"Rose, I need to talk to you," his deep, baritone voice resounded.

I couldn't help but notice that he didn't even acknowledge my friend's presence. I shifted uncomfortably wondering when my friend would crack.

It didn't take long.

Almost immediately, Viv stood up in her seat. I could tell she was clearly upset that he came not for her, but for me…I threw the girl an apologetic glance as she turned around and walked away.

It was ignored.

"What's her problem?"

This earned several glares.

Uncomfortably, James looked down at his hands before continuing stiffly. He seemed uncomfortable with the situation. We had never really had any sort of conflict before and it was apparent that he didn't know how to respond.

"Al wants to talk to you, Rose," he muttered.

I scoffed, turning around in my seat to face him, my eyes alight with anger, "What are we, Potter? First years? If Al wants to talk to me so much, tell him to come right over here and say something."

Annoyed, he ran a hand through his hair, growling, "You really are a twat sometimes, Rose. He didn't implicitly ask me but I figured you could help – he's not doing so well."

"And I am?" I cried, "I just told him the truth, so it's his fault if he can't handle it, Potter!"

"Would you stop calling me Potter?" He asked, his loud tone reflecting frustration, "It's getting ridiculous."

"Ridiculous?" I whispered threateningly, standing up, "You know what's ridiculous, **Potter**? Using Viv. Being friends with her and then just throwing it all away in a pathetic attempt for sex! You can get that anywhere! I didn't know you threw away friends so easily."

He looked shocked for a moment, pain flashing across his expression before he regained himself. As he opened his mouth to speak, I held a hand up.

"Just bugger off, why don't you?" I sighed, frustrated. "I'm not in the mood."

James stood there for an instant longer, glaring at me before turning around angrily and walking away with a huff.

After he left, Roxanne started indignantly, "That was a little rough, wasn't it?"

"He deserved it," I replied crossly, not in the mood for Roxanne's saint like rebuffs.

The girl opened her mouth, on the verge of replying when she decided against it and went back to eating, a blank, hollow expression overcoming on her face.

I sighed. This was going to be a long week.

* * *

><p>It wasn't until Wednesday that I made contact with anyone besides my intimate group of friends.<p>

We had all gotten out from a rather rough lesson of Transfiguration (I was quite sure that McGonagall was on crack, you should've seen the amount of homework she assigned us), and I was in a rather foul mood.

But, if I was being honest, I had been in a foul mood all week.

I tried to be sensitive, I really did, but it was hard to deal with other people's problems when you had your own shit constantly lurking at the back of your mind.

I just couldn't stop thinking about it. I was becoming like Roxanne, over-thinking and over-analyzing. I had come to the conclusion that I was at least partly mistaken for blowing up at Scorpius, but I was still adamant on my lashing out at Al. He deserved it. And if he felt bad, I definitely wouldn't go to him. He'd have to come to me.

Which he did.

"Rose!" A voice called from somewhere within the mess of students that were flooding out of the classroom.

_I know that voice. I know that voice. _I chanted inside my head, as I turned around.

Pausing, I told my friends that they could go on without me and that I'd be right behind them.

As the last of the students trickled out of McGonagall's classroom, I spied Al, leaning against the doorway, his eyes fixed, peering at me from behind slightly dim spectacles.

I examined him carefully, never moving my feet as I stared at him. If I was being honest, the kid really did look sick. It was as if he hadn't slept in days. I almost felt bad.

Almost.

Awkwardly, Al adjusted his glasses and walked up to me.

"Hi."

My gaze was stiff and cool, "Hi."

Awkward silence.

"What's up?"

I blinked, honestly taken aback for a moment before it all came pouring out.

"Are you shitting me right now, Albus Potter?" I blurted.

"No, I –"

But I wasn't done.

"After everything, that's the first thing you say?" I cried, placing my hands defiantly on my hips.

Irritated, he folded his arms and glared at me, "May I remind you that it was you who blew up at me…not the other way around."

I scoffed, "Yeah and you're the one who didn't say anything. Not one word of defense. Pretty much confirming everything I said. How do you think that made me feel?"

"You never talked to me either, Rose! It was a two-way street!" He shouted angrily, "How do you think that made **me** feel?"

"You're the one who deserted me," I snapped. "I'm pretty sure I got the worse end of the bargain."

Al groaned, "I didn't even know if you wanted to talk to me."

"How come?" I placed my hands on my hips.

"You seemed so cold!"

"Well maybe that was because I was angry you just suddenly stopped talking to me!" I countered.

"I thought you didn't want me to talk to me!" He cried, "You didn't talk and I'm sorry but it made it seem as if you were one of those pretentious Slytherins."

"Stop stereotyping us all, Al!" I yelled, running a hand through my hair, "We're not all that bad."

"I know! I know…I – I…"

Al let out a growl of frustration and threw his hands up in the air, before taking a deep breath and speaking after a moment.

"What happened to us, Rose?" He asked, his voice a whole hell of a lot quieter than I had expected.

It shook me off balance.

Swallowing my pain, I shrugged, "How about you ask yourself? Because I certainly tried…"

"Oh, just grow up!" He shouted, suddenly as angry as I had been a few seconds earlier.

_Huh. That's the second time this week someone's told me that. _

He continued angrily, not waiting for a reply, "You are so **dumb** sometimes, you know that?"

"Hey," I took offense to that, "I almost have straight O's."

Al shot me a dirty glare before he began to pace.

"You think I didn't care?" He shouted after a moment. "I cared, Rose. I've always cared!"

I was surprised to find tears springing instantly into my eyes.

"Then why didn't you do something, Al? Why didn't you say anything?" I whispered, my heart betraying me as my throat closed.

"I didn't know how to," he replied miserably, sliding down the wall and onto the floor, taking his glasses off in frustration. "I didn't know how to comfort you when I wasn't even sure if you deserved comforting."

_Is that what he thought?_ A tear spilled over.

"I'm so sorry, Rose."

I had been waiting for so long to hear him say that.

It hurt and healed all at the same time. I found myself so shocked and upset that I almost didn't know what to say.

"I don't know if that's good enough, Al," I whispered.

"Rose, please," he pleaded, staring up at me, "I – I just thought I didn't know the real you or you had been hiding things from me and…that hurt."

"Well it hurt that you threw away our entire friendship because of where I sleep at night!"

Al sighed sadly, "I was stupid. I thought you were lying or…I don't even know. And it just got worse with time. It was easier to ignore you."

I swallowed uncomfortably, not sure as to what I was feeling anymore.

So, I gave up.

What else was there to do? I'd still be angry, but if I didn't forgive him, who knows when we'd ever make up? All that mattered was right there are then – he was apologizing and he was sincere so, for once in my life, I gave up.

"I missed you, Al," I whispered, a sob tearing from throat.

At that, he looked up instantly and as our eyes met, I knew it would be alright.

He scrambled up from the floor and enveloped me in a tight hug. Oh, how I had missed his hugs, his friendship. I'd have given anything to have it back it again…but it looked as if I didn't have to.

"I always asked James about you," he whispered into my hair, rubbing my back as I continued to cry.

I replied in between sobs, "R – really?"

"Really."

I narrowed my eyebrows, regaining composure for a moment, "That wanker. I did the same and he never told me."

Al smiled slightly and tightened his grip. This wasn't a time for words.

Happily, I buried my head in his shoulder.

I felt as if I had regained a part of me, something that I couldn't remember how I had ever lived without. His wisdom, his gentle expression of affection, he was someone who could truly never be replaced. He was my Al. My best guy friend. And I was proud of him. Even if I still had a ways to go, he had grown up. He had gone out of his comfort zone in confronting me and that was quite a feat for him. Al had always been one to ignore his problems and, as the risk paid off, I was proud to see that he had finally found the maturity to try and fix things instead of bottling them up.

I smiled as he hugged me and closed my eyes in complete bliss.

This was a moment no one could ever take from us.

Not even Scorpius Malfoy.

* * *

><p>"James Sirius Potter!"<p>

"Aww shit," I heard from inside the depths of the broom cupboard.

I rolled my eyes.

"A little birdie told me you might be in here," I replied, smirking as I watched a vulnerable James Potter and his catch of the day struggle to regain their dignity.

Which was quite near impossible, mind you.

In fact, it disgusted. I loved my cousin but he had moved on too quickly. I had seen a part of him I didn't know existed in the past few days and it shocked me. I couldn't stop loving him, we were too close for that, but the fact that he had kept so many things a secret, including Al's mutual curiosity about me…well that was the last straw – and what caused me to seek him out that day.

"Oh, Nikita!" I remarked with feigned pleasantry, pretending as if I hadn't noticed her.

Which wasn't an unfamiliar reaction of mine. I tended to ignore people I didn't like…Nikita Patil being one of them.

She was perhaps one of the most annoying, ditzy 6th years at Hogwarts. How she had ended up in Ravenclaw was a complete mystery to me, Alice and Viviana. Her high-pitched giggle irritated us all to no end and it was something that I complained about frequently to my circle of friends.

And that was when Roxanne would remind me that I didn't have to share a dorm with her.

Poor girl…poor, poor girl…

"Rose," she acknowledged me icily.

I flashed her a tight smile, "Well. Nice seeing you."

At the obvious dismal, she huffed, grabbed her shirt from James and walked out of the broom closet, running into me angrily as she did.

I sighed. Girls like that gave me a headache.

"What the hell, Rose?" James shouted as soon as the door had closed.

"Shh, James," I put a finger to my lips mockingly, "you might disturb the couple in the closet next door."

"You walked in on them to?" He asked, wincing, "How am I related to you?"

James groaned and leaned over, massaging his temples.

_Huh. I feel like I've been really good at annoying people as of late. _I realized casually.

"I honestly can't believe you sometimes, Rose," he spat, glaring up at me.

"I can't believe **you**!" I retorted angrily, "Holing up with some trollop days after what happened with Viviana. She was your **friend**, James and maybe she could've been something more if you hadn't screwed everything up."

For a moment, he looked stricken but he quickly regained himself.

"Well it wasn't all my fault!" He pleaded pathetically, "She kissed me first!"

"Well you kissed her back!" I cried.

He opened his mouth but I didn't let him speak.

"And that was the whole reason you invited us to the party in the first place, wasn't it? You just wanted to get into Vivi's knickers. Nothing more, nothing less. That's despicable, you know. I thought you wanted to ask her out."

"I did!" He implored.

"Well, that was a funny way of going about it," I commented angrily, folding my arms.

"I swear, I did," he insisted, running a hand through his untidy hair, "I just had a little too much to drink and made a mistake, Rose. You should be able to identify with that."

My jaw dropped.

He didn't know about the kiss, did he…?

"What are you talking about?" I whispered anxiously, my heart racing a mile a minute.

No. no. no. This was not good.

James looked muddled, "What do you think I'm talking about? Passing out and blaming Scorpius for raping you! Duh."

"Oh," I remarked blankly, feeling a bit dumb for assuming so much. "Well you didn't pass out."

James rolled his eyes, "You are such a child, Rose."

"Not true!"

"So true!"

"Not true!"

"So. True."

I huffed angrily. "Well you're the one who never told me that Al asked about me too!"

He looked taken aback at that.

"We made up, by the way," I added, fury adding to the pace of my speech, "because we are both **mature** enough to face the facts and deal with our issues."

I didn't add that it had taken years to do so but hey, we're not all perfect.

"Oh, ok then, so I can assume you've apologized for being such a little bitch to Scorpius? No? Well then…"

My jaw swung open for the second time that day. I hated that boy sometimes…

So then, I did the mature thing and stormed out without another word.

Maybe Al had grown up, but as James pointed out, I was all too comfortable with being childish.

And I embraced it.

* * *

><p><strong>Hope you liked it!<strong>

**So please, R&R! It is so appreciated. I want you to know what you think about James and what you think about Al and Rose making up. I love to hear your thoughts! Sorry for all the fighting, there isn't much humor in that but oh well, it'll be over soon. **

**Oh and don't worry, there will be more Scorpius later. **

**Thanks for reading and I'll be sure to update soon!**

**-SpringSinger19**


	7. King of Anything

***Re-upload with a few extra scenes and edits  
><strong>

**Thanks for everything guys(: I love you all!  
><strong>

**This is a more relaxed chapter. I spent a lot of time on it so I hope you enjoy! It's a lot longer than my original plan, but I decided to add a few new things to spice it up – thus, the length. **

**The quote this time is from "King of Anything" by Sara Bareilles.**

"Who cares if you disagree? You are not me. Who made you king of anything? So you dare tell me who to be? Who died and made you king of anything?"_  
><em>

**ENJOY!**

**-SpringSinger19**

* * *

><p>The next few weeks were a mix of awkward and pleasant. Not perfect. Never perfect.<p>

But better…better.

Despite imagining it a thousand times, I'd never experienced a Hogwarts while accompanied by Al. It was the best thing that could have ever happened. We spent so much time together in the first few days that it made me truly realize how much I had missed him. There was an incredible plethora of tiny things I had forgotten about him, little quirks that I was delighted to rediscover. Now and then, I found myself worrying that I'd never have enough time for them all. Then, I'd remember.

I had all the time in the world.

* * *

><p>The clock was ticking.<p>

Our 5 minute passing period was almost up, and I had yet to arrive at my familiar charms classroom on the 5th floor. It was sure to be another source of conflict between my dear old professor and I, but at the moment, I wasn't exactly concerned with that. Although the two of us had a history of butting heads, I hadn't intentionally taken the wrong flight of moving stairs that picturesque winter afternoon.

It was a bit of a long story, but the reason I was running late had to do with a lack of social skills, the famous Weasley temper and a sexually perverse painting.

Truth is, I never got along with Wednesdays. They, along with birds, were the bane of my existence, an absolute damper on my entire week. Call me superstitious, but I never expected a good Wednesday or found myself surprised by a bad one. This, of course, was determined by the fact that I barely ever saw my friends all day. Lunch, being determined by 3rd period (and in my case, advanced Arithmancy), ruled out any chance I had of eating and exchanging pleasantries with friends. I wasn't exactly close with many people besides Alice, Roxanne and Viv, so this made for an incredibly awkward 40 minutes for me. I wasn't good talking to people I didn't particularly like or know, so it was usually an uncomfortable experience. Besides, the whole lunch was primarily filled with over-achieving Ravenclaws and 7th years. A few stragglers of different ages came from the odd class, like Ancient Runes. But, for the most part, there weren't any people my age at that lunch.

Well, I guess there were, but I didn't exactly count Colin Perdue or Michael Barnaby. Sure, Colin couldn't keep his hands off me, but I still always got the vibe that those two didn't particularly like me. I know I shouldn't have cared, but it bothered me all the same.

And it was a combination of all these forces that lead me to, pathetically enough, eating my lunch alone in the antechamber just off the Great Hall. Technically, students weren't allowed to be in there, but I had gotten quite good at sneaking past my teachers when they weren't looking. It wasn't like anyone ever went in there, anyways.

The room itself had a homey atmosphere, quite like the Gryffindor common room. It was full of paintings of various sorts and a few cheerful fireplaces. I loved to sit in front of the largest one and lay down on my back, eating the sandwich or biscuit I had snatched when no one was looking.

Sure, it was absolutely pathetic, but I didn't have an insane amount of friends, and I wasn't looking to make any new ones. And no, I wasn't about to go and sit with one of my distant cousins. Sure, we were family, but that doesn't mean I wanted to exchange my bloody pleasantries with them.

Pleasantries were for real friends.

Anyways, that Wednesday, I had just finished a delicious ham and cheese sandwich and was currently pressed back-down against the cold stone floor – my legs casually bet in front of me and my hands behind my head. I'd already taken off my outer robes and my skirt was hitched up a bit too high. I was quite sure I was flashing a few paintings on the west side of the room, but as the lighting was dim and I knew one of the largest canvas held a band of gay wizard rights advocates – I figured it was alright.

It wasn't.

"My! My!" A deep voice resounded throughout the room.

I sprung up, my heart skipping a beat as I glanced wildly about the room.

"Who said that?" I called as I tried to steady my nerves.

"I, my Lady!" The voice called. "Sir Cadogan the brave!"

I narrowed my eyes, spying around the room for the self-proclaimed 'Sir.' I soon found him, a heavily clad, and rather ridiculous looking knight – waving furiously as he pushed aside a few world-weary members of an older Wizengamot.

I stood, walking over to the painting as I crossed my arms.

"So what did you want to say?" I asked sharply, not sure if I wanted to hear the answer.

"Well," the knight began impishly as he elbowed a few of the older men suggestively, "I was just in shock at that little display."

Angrily eyeing the knight, I licked my lips before taking in a calming breath.

"And what display would that be?" I asked, feigning a sugary Roxanne-like disposition.

At my tone, a weary look crossed the knight's face and he glanced about at the disapproving glares he was receiving from all other paintings.

"Chose your words carefully, knight," Violet warned.

Her friend the Fat Lady nodded in agreement as she took a delicate sip of her wine, adding, "You're treading on thin ice, Cadogan!"

Swallowing awkwardly, he adjusted his posture, not quite as confident as before.

Slowly, the knight began, taking great care as he spoke, "I was simply referring to the less than lady-like length of your skirt. I swear I did not see a thing. I'm too noble for such a deed."

Biting my lip, I stood frozen in place for a second, weighing my options. At that moment, the heat of anger was nothing more than a small flame at the pit of my belly. It was nothing I couldn't handle. So, after a second, I grabbed my lunch and made my way towards the door.

However, as I was just about to pass over the threshold, Sir Cadogan had the gall to call after me.

"Although, I must say – pink is one of my new favorite colors!"

I paused, stiffening as I turned around and hissed through my teeth, "I thought you said you didn't look."

"A hero always peeks!"

Needless to say, 15 minutes and a temper fueled pursuit later, I was breathless and out of drive. This, along with my current state of tardiness, did nothing to help my stress level. Panting, I hurtled up the last few steps and down the brightly lit hallway, knocking over a few first years as I did. I skidded to a halt at the familiar wood and wrought iron door and as carefully as I could, opened the thing and slipped in.

"Ah! Ms. Weasley!" A squeaky voice sounded mockingly from the front of the classroom. "Less than punctual, as always…"

I froze in place, mentally cursing my parents for lack of grace.

I flashed the man a tight smile, "Sorry about that. It's a long story."

Professor Flitwick laughed. "Oh, I'm sure it is. What was it this time? Were you chased around Hogwarts by a horde of angry licorice snaps? Did you run into a herd of wild hippogriffs again? Had to bow to all of them before you made your escape?"

"Actually –"

The little man held up a hand, "No. I don't want to hear it. Detention. This Saturday, at 7 PM sharp. Don't be late again, Weasley."

Sighing in defeat, I turned, glancing about the crowded classroom for a seat. It didn't take long to locate Alice and Vi, but to my dismay, they hadn't saved me a seat.

I glared at the two questioningly, folding my arms.

Alice shrugged guiltily before elbowing Viv. The African beauty turned and laughed at my expression, leaning backwards before discreetly pointing out the Gryffindor boy sitting next to her, mouthing the word 'fit' as she did.

I groaned, making my way forward anxiously as I searched the room for a seat. Finally, at the corner, I spotted Scorpius and Al, reclining against the wall. My cousin grinned as Scorpius waved furiously at me and pointed to the seat in front of the two.

I rolled my eyes for the second time that day.

Seeing no other options, I made my way up to the seat as quietly as I could – quite aware of the fact that my professor was burning a hole in the back of my head as I did.

As I sat down, I shot a smile at Al before turning and glaring at Scorpius.

"What'd I do?"

I sighed, ignoring my least favorite Gryffindor as I turned back towards the front of the room and tried my best to listen.

We were learning a new spell that day: avis. After listening to what seemed like an hour of in-depth lecture on the word's Latin roots, I finally figured out that we were to produce a flock of birds.

And how the hell could a damn flock of birds help me in life, you ask?

I'll never know.

As always when learning a new spell, the first lesson reviewed basics and covered the verbal portion. We never actually did any wandwork until lesson 2 or 3. So, after I determined this, I decided it was safe to let my mind wander.

Sighing quietly, I titled my head to the side and spaced out, my eyes quickly distancing.

I watched my professor blankly, silently wondering how old the man was. He was so short and stout, like one of those munchkins from that Muggle movie Alice and I watched once over the summer. And by the way he was dressed, I couldn't help but notice that he was the mirror image of the mayor – tiny green suit and everything.

_Mayor of Munchkin City_. I cracked a smile.

I'd never look at that man the same way again.

However, my grin was quickly silenced by a stern look from my professor. Sighing, I turned my face down to the text book. Soon after, I felt a tug on my hair.

I twisted around to see what the hair-pulling was all about. At the sight of Scorpius, I found myself resisting the urge to roll my eyes again, "What?"

Al's face split into a smile at my tone. Scorpius shrugged.

"We wanted to hear that long story," Al whispered.

"Yeah," Scorpius added, "Did you trip over a pygmy puff on the way over or something?"

I ignored him.

"Two words," I spoke directly to Al, "Sir. Cadogan."

My cousin started to laugh, earning a glare from our grumpy professor.

"Mr. Potter," he warned in a stern voice.

Al nodded, motioning quietly that his lips were sealed. Flitwick narrowed his eyes, glaring at my cousin for a moment before resuming his teachings.

Al took a moment, making sure the coast was clear, before leaning in and whispering, "What happened?"

Thinking of the events that had occurred earlier that day caused an unseemly grimace to befall my formerly average looking face. Quietly, I leaned back, and turned my head slightly to the side before I began to quietly illustrate the tale of my chase about Hogwarts. Truth it, I hadn't been quite sure why I'd done it – seeing as there really wasn't much I could do to harm him – but it happened, and that was all there was to it. All throughout my story, Scorpius and Al commented quite frequently, and, at the part where Cadogan finally gave up and begged my forgiveness, Scorpius couldn't help his volume.

"Bullshit," Scorpius accused me, only realizing a second later how loud his commentary had actually been.

"That's it!" Flitwick screeched as he scuttled over to the three of us. "The two of you will be joining Ms. Weasley in detention on Saturday night!"

"I swear it wasn't me this time, Professor! Honest!" Al implored.

The Professor stared hard at my cousin for a moment before giving in, "Fine. But Mr. Malfoy, I'm still expecting you this weekend. Foul language like that is not permitted on Hogwarts grounds."

Scorpius shrugged while I groaned. Spending my Saturday night writing lines with Scorpius Malfoy wasn't exactly my idea of fun.

As the man turned and left the three of us alone once again – Al leaned in, grinning as he spoke, "I didn't actually expect that to work. He likes me! I knew it."

Scorpius rolled his eyes, "Yeah, yeah, yeah, we know it. You're the teacher's pet; they all love you, blah blah."

Al shoved his friend. "Shut up. You shouldn't be talking, **Scropy**. We all know how Professor Griffiths dotes on you."

Scorpius' pale cheeks flushed a slight red causing me to snicker.

"She does not," he whispered sharply.

"Merlin's beard, she calls you **Scorpy**!"

"Change of subject," Scorpius hissed through his teeth.

As Al opened his mouth to retort, Professor Flitwick interrupted.

"Now," he began in a high, piercing tone, "I want you all to get into groups of 3 and read the passage on page 146 in your text book about the spell."

The classroom erupted in conversation as my fellow students called out to their friends and tried to solidify groups.

"No – no – no!" The professor squeaked. "Not until I say so!"

The room silenced.

"Ok," he continued, a bit flustered, "**now **go!"

Scorpius laughed, "He really is in a bad mood. You guys want to work together?"

I sighed, glancing despairingly at Alice, Viv and the mysterious Gryffindor before turning around to face the two, "Fine."

So, the three of us began our work. We took turns, each of us reading a bit out loud to the group. Through this, I learned that Scorpius was rather awful at it. Reading out loud seemed so simple, that I couldn't help but make fun of him for it. Then, after we had finished, and as we were ahead of the rest of the class (we skipped a few pages), Scorpius took the helm and began conversation.

"Soo," he started, a sly smile curving his lips. "Pink, huh?'

"Class! May I re-direct your attention to the board…"

I huffed angrily, ignoring my teacher as I slapped Malfoy's hand and turned towards my cousin.

"You know, Al, I don't see why you're friends with this pig," I told him directly. "He's annoying, and loud, and rude, and has terrible people skills."

Al grinned quietly, leaning back in his chair as he folded his arms and commented shrewdly, "Oh, so you mean he's just like you?"

My jaw dropped, and just as I was about to tell him off, the professor jumped in.

"Weasley, Potter, Malfoy! Stop your chatting this instant or there will be further consequences!" Flitwick yelped. "And Potter, you will now be joining your two friends in detention."

Al sighed unhappily, causing me to smirk. Laughing, I turned around and, still smiling, directed my attention towards the professor.

Things were going right.

And I was finally getting used to it.

* * *

><p>Needless to say, it was a good couple of weeks. I almost felt like Al and I laughed and talked enough within the first few days to fill the emptiness of 5 years. But then again, maybe it seemed like such a luxury because we had neglected each other for so long.<p>

However, as I said before, it wasn't perfect.

And that imperfection was due to the seemingly constant presence of a certain Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy. No matter what we did or where we went, he was usually there, lingering, and occasionally looking a bit glum and put-off.

His presence made things a bit awkward at times, as neither of us had managed to apologize to the other yet and…we couldn't stop bickering. Al actually found it quite irritating.

But it wasn't until after the first quidditch match of the season that he actually said something…

* * *

><p>"I'm telling you guys," I began heatedly as the three of us made our way out of the stadium, "Wood was intentionally blagging. It was a total foul. I can't believe they didn't call it. Alice would've caught the snitch hands down if that git hadn't been cheating!"<p>

Personally, I had never really been one for playing quidditch. In fact, I was rather dreadful at it. When my father tried to get me on a broom at age 7, I not only managed to injure myself, but my little brother Hugo. My father liked to call it the Cobbing Incident of 2013.

Don't. Even. Ask.

Nonetheless, I followed it with a passion only slightly less fanatic than Alice's. And if she hadn't just gotten out of the match, the two of us would surely be discussing the injustice that had occurred in the match that day.

So, naturally, I found myself arguing with Scorpius instead. It was always my go-to alternative when I had nothing else to do.

"Oh please!" The blonde growled, leaning over to glare at me from the other side of Al, "Gryffindor's aren't known for cheating."

I frowned.

I hated the infamy my house had acquired for cheating, it just really didn't help when I was trying to prove its legitimacy. And I hated whenever people brought that up…or any other Slytherin stereotype for that matter.

But I especially hated it when Scorpius was the one that did.

I glared at him, "What an amazing defense, Malfoy. I applaud you."

Al rolled his eyes, used to my passion for the sport and my constant quarreling with his best friend.

Scorpius stopped, feigning embarrassment, "Oh, I'm sorry, Rosie," I gritted my teeth at his use of James' nickname, "I just thought that since you were so quick to label, it'd be OK if I did too."

I scowled at him as I balled my fists, utterly livid. He was smirking.

**Smirking**.

Oh Merlin, I hated that boy.

He just couldn't seem to get over the fact that I accused him of rape…I mean, I probably wouldn't either, but hey, I woke up in his bed. What else was I supposed to think?

Then again, I doubt that was the only reason we were fighting. Years of resentment on my part and being on the receiving end of said animosity on his were bound to lead to some sort of explosion sooner or later.

I took a shaky breath in a weak attempt to refrain from spitting out the strain of insults on the tip of my tongue.

"Well, Malfoy, you're giving me reason to, so I apologize for making the assumption."

Pain flashed across his face for a brief second.

And it was at this that Al threw his arms out and turned around to face the two of us, "Honestly, you guys! Can't you just get over yourselves?"

I bit my lip.

"You guys are my best mates. I don't care if you'll never be buddies but at least try and be civil for me?"

Much to Al's dismay, I scoffed, "Fat chance of that happening. I honestly don't know what you see in that prick, Al. He's just like his father."

I didn't really believe that but I knew it would sting. I had meant it to. And I could tell that it had the intended effect by the suddenly blank expression that Scorpius had adopted.

"What did you say?" His voice was threateningly low.

I folded my arms and stepped in front of him, presenting a challenge, "Well, let me put it this way, if I've said anything to offended you, I meant it."

"I guess that makes some sense."

Scorpius and I threw Al an questioning glance.

Looking back and forth between the two of us, the boy shrugged before replying pointedly, "Well it's only natural. You're just like your father too, Rose. And your mother."

I stared blankly at him.

"Genes," he continued, grinning impishly. "They're a fascinating thing."

Scoffing, I folded my arms stubbornly and looked away. Malfoy did the same, but not before cracking a grin.

_Kiss-up._

This wasn't a fight that could be resolved anytime soon…

* * *

><p>Anyways, despite the conflict with Scorpius, I also spent a lot of my spare time avoiding James.<p>

He constantly went back and forth between trying to apologize and yell at me. Honestly, I swear that kid was bipolar. I kept trying to tell him that it wasn't me he should be apologizing to, but he just couldn't seem to get it through his thick head. He was being a right prick about everything and, in my opinion, had to be quite daft not to realize that. All it would take to fix things was a simple effort on his part. I mean, I missed him, and I know he missed me too. I wanted him to work things out with Vivi, but, until he did, I wouldn't talk with him. Hoes before bros! Or something like that…

Not sure that quite applies, I don't really keep up with that sort of thing, but I'll go with it…

And then, there were my friends.

Honestly, with my luck, it was a blessing that Alice didn't have any issues. Oh, well, besides her…newfound thirst for the bloodshed of a very unfortunate, blagging-ly talented Daniel Wood. She had been tormenting him ever since the first quidditch match. The unlucky thing had experienced the wrath of her infamous temper one too many times since…it was a wonder she hadn't been caught yet. But I guess that was just the Slytherin in her.

And, while it entertained Viv and I to no end, Roxanne was horrified by it. Poor girl…the extra weight on her conscience didn't help her stress level one bit.

Not that she had any solid reason to stress.

I mean, nothing had happened yet. The Professor hadn't told on Roxanne or even said a word about it to anyone as far as we knew. But, in my opinion, it was almost worse. While there were no instant ramifications, it was impossible to know what would happen. This little thing wasn't just going to disappear, no matter how much Roxanne wished it would.

And that was simply torturing her.

If you hadn't been looking for it, perhaps one may have overlooked the obvious tension between teacher and student. But I, for one, watched carefully from afar, making sure that neither noticed my observations. From the way she looked at him, I could tell that her feelings had not gone away.

And from the way he looked at her, I could tell that such feelings were nonexistent.

I didn't need to be a Ravenclaw to see that this wasn't going to turn out well.

* * *

><p>Yet another predicament I had assigned myself to fixing was the sour attitude newly assumed by Viviana.<p>

She had been moping about for weeks, out of character even for someone as steely as herself. People had begun to notice and wonder. It took all the strength that Alice and I had not to reprimand her for her excessive sulking.

But eventually, it was too much. So when Alice was gone on another Destroy-Daniel-Wood escapade, I stayed behind and confronted Viv.

"Ok, this is getting out of hand."

Viv glanced up from the book she was reading, a bored expression masking her true reaction.

"What is?" She asked innocently.

Sighing, I walked over to her bed and sat down.

"You need to give him up, Viv," I started, "I know you that two were friends but he's being a stubborn git, and it won't do you any good to sit around feeling sorry for yourself all day."

Viviana looked up for a second, making bored eye-contact with me before returning to her book, looking thoroughly uninterested.

"Oh, no you don't," I snapped, grabbing the novel from her hands, "you are not ignoring me this time, Viviana Zabini. We are talking about this whether you like it or not."

The girl glared at me hatefully for a moment, before pointedly turning her nose away.

"Viv…?"

"If you want to talk about it than talk!" She barked, interrupting me mid-sentence.

"Ok…" I continued slowly, never taking my eyes off of her, "well I wanted to ask you about James."

Silence.

"Well what about him?" She inquired crossly.

_How long have you had feelings for him? _

I opened my mouth, about to ask the question before I saw the miserable look on her face and decided against it.

"I – I just wanted you to know that you can talk to me about him," I replied pathetically.

Viv threw me a disbelieving look, wrinkling her nose. "That's not a question."

And for some reason, that set me off.

I felt the familiar markings of my temper run through me and knew that no good could come from this.

"You know, I've known you for six years, Viv!" I cried, tossing her book to the side as I stood and began to pace. "Six years! Doesn't that mean anything to you?"

Pain flashed across Viv's usually impenetrable poker face. "Yes but –"

I lowered my tone, "And yet, even after so long you don't seem to trust me or Alice. That hurts, Vivi. We'd be there for you if you'd only let us."

"Rose, if you would just listen –"

"No, Viv," I whispered quietly, "you listen. We're your best friends. We've been through thick and thin together. You've supported us and now it's time for us to return the favor."

An uncomfortable still settled in the room, tension arising so thickly that I supposed I could've cut it with a knife.

I watched Viv closely as she searched for the words to say. She seemed distant and unreachable. I almost wanted to shake her, as she seemed to have fallen into a dream-like state.

Except I'm not sure it was a dream that she was experiencing…it was a nightmare.

"I – I can't, Rose," she finally choked out, looking anywhere but me.

"Yes you can, Viv," I pleaded walking up to the bed and reaching for her hand.

She instantly recoiled, "No, no I can't. I…just no, Rose…I – I can't. I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry," I begged, my heart going out to my friend, "Alice and I can help. We're here for you and we always will be. Never doubt that. We'll understand."

"No." Viv whispered the word huskily.

At that, she stood, running a hand through her dark, brunette mane as she glanced about the room anxiously.

"I'm sorry."

And with that, she walked out, leaving me behind feeling even more pathetic and frustrated than before.

* * *

><p>It was the first weekend in December and time for our second Hogsmeade trip of the year. I had already missed the first due to an unfortunate intake of cockroach clusters, but now I was up and ready to going.<p>

However, my friends weren't quite so eager.

Well, at least, Viv wasn't. She stayed back to partake in her newly frequented activity, sulking - while Alice on the other hand had talked back to Professor Hollingberry, gotten detention and was therefore unable to attend.

As for Roxanne…well Roxanne had a pity date. Not with Tristan, but with the brother of some Ravenclaw friend of hers…Ethan Clearwater I think the name was.

So, being abandoned by my three closest friends, I had decided to go with Al and Scorpius, both of which did not have dates. This, of course, I expected of Al, he'd only ever had one girlfriend and she'd been the one to ask him out (no need to ask who wore the pants in that relationship…).

But Scorpius, on the other hand…well, let's just say that he'd had his fair share of dates. He wasn't a womanizer, but I'd never pin him as in need of a date. And, quite frankly, no matter how much I wanted him to fail in life, I wished he had one…I wasn't exactly looking forward to spending an entire day in his presence.

As I made my way through the hallways to courtyard, I was carefree. Feeling suddenly a lot better about myself than I had as of late. Things were going right and I had Al by my side.

_You know I could get used to this. If only Scorpius wasn't –_

A sudden, rather large sniffling noise interrupted my train of thought. I stopped and turned around, determining quite quickly that the odd noise had come from an empty classroom. I paused, silently debating with myself for a few minutes on whether or not I should investigate.

Whoever said ignorance is bliss is sorely mistaken.

Curious, I lightly pushed open the door and peeked inside to spy none other than…Tristan Longbottom. Instant regret surged through me.

As I tried to quickly and quietly make an escape, a tiny voice followed.

"Rose?"

I froze, biting my tongue as to prevent a sudden outburst. Once again, I cursed my parents for the blatant lack of grace.

_I guess curiosity really did kill the cat…_

Smiling tightly, I turned around and took a step forward, "Oh…uh, Tristan!"

As if he expected me to continue, he kept silent. I shifted awkwardly. There was just something about this boy that made me rather uneasy…why was I always stuck with someone so socially awkward? Dear Circe, why?

"Um, nice to see you again…? You look a slight bit better than you did last time," I remarked uncomfortably, wondering if that was enough for him to start speaking.

"Oh yeah," Tristan replied dully, glancing away, "sorry about that."

Sighing, the boy turned and leaned back against one of the many, empty desks. While doing so, I took the chance to examine him. He seemed different than before. And his current sobriety wasn't the only change. He appeared more troubled, his eyes flashing angrily ever so often. I could scarcely see any traces of Tristan's former naivety and restlessness. Still, his eyes were slightly reddened, signaling that he had been close to tears as of late.

I bit my lip with worry, sincerely hoping that Roxanne wasn't the source of his distress. She really didn't need any more guilt weighing down on her. Poor girl didn't handle stress well. Or anything for that matter. I blamed it on the parents.

Strange things happen when a ginger man and a black woman make a baby…

Shaking my thoughts off, I began to speak, "Yeah, well…uh, sorry to interrupt?"

Tristan looked up slowly, shrugged and cast his eyes off in a different direction, bad memories glazing over his otherwise dull gaze.

At the clear dismissal, I fled the room, having to work very hard in order not to run. Exiting the classroom, I practically ran into Al and Scorpius, both of which were waiting outside.

"What are you guys doing here?" I questioned automatically, crossing over to Al's side.

"Well," Scorpius started immediately, "if you hadn't already forgotten, we're all, unfortunately, going to Hogsmeade together."

I shot him a glare.

Leaning casually back against the wall, Scorpius Malfoy was the perfect depiction of a careless teenage boy. Mischief swam within his green-eyed gaze and his wind-blown hair fell across his eyes just so…in a way, that would've agitated Al to no end, but didn't seem to bother Scorpius.

_Stupid wanker…stupid attractive wanker…_ I paused mid-way through the thought, completely horrified. _I might have to kill myself for that._

"Really?" I asked, my tone positively dripping with sarcasm, "I had absolutely no idea! Thank you for enlightening me, **Malfoy**. I don't know what I would do without you."

He rolled his eyes, pushing himself off the wall.

"It was my pleasure," he replied with equal sarcasm, before adding a drawn out, "**Rose**," for extra measure.

Al glanced back and forth between the two of us, unsure of how to respond.

"But, you know, Malfoy," I added after a moment's silence, "if you don't want to go, no one's forcing you…and honestly, I'd really rather you not."

Malfoy frowned for only a second before countering, "Well if I wasn't around, then there wouldn't be anyone else there to torment you. And it's simply just too much fun to leave alone."

"And, you don't have any other friends," I finished for him, smirking as I folded my arms.

Scorpius grinned threateningly, taking a step forward, "Actually I believe it's you lacking in that certain department, Rosie. You were the last minute addition, not me."

I scowled tightly. _Git_.

Desperately searching for something to say, I spat out the first thing that came to mind.

"You know, isn't this the point where you're supposed to tell me that if I'm not careful, my face will freeze like this?" I asked mockingly.

Al groaned, "So is immaturity a regular thing for you Rose? Or is this a recent development?"

We both ignored him.

"Oh, it is? Then it's such a shame that I've grown up a bit since then. I guess we'll have to deal with being adults. Or at least, I will. Like Al said, I'm not so sure, you've changed much since then, Rose."

_Stupid wanker wouldn't call me Weasley!_ I practically growled. I wasn't sure why it bothered me, but for some reason, it did.

At my outraged expression, a rather uncomfortable Albus stepped in.

"Guys," his tone signaled a warning as he glanced back and forth between the two of us.

I rolled my eyes and took a step back. If only for Al's sake, I'd try to be civil.

Though from the look on Malfoy's face, I wasn't quite so sure he'd do the same.

* * *

><p><strong>Did you like? I had more fun writing it than I expected so maybe it wasn't all that bad to read. It's a bit choppy though soooo…yeah. Sorry I couldn't include the actual quidditch scene, this chapter was getting a bit long. I promise you'll see one soon, though!<strong>

**Still, I'd love to hear your thoughts!(: Why do you think Viv is being so difficult? Why won't she get over James? What do you think about Rose so far? Al? Scorpius?**

**By the way, credit goes to Beeezie and puppyluv242 for the hippogriff** **and pygmy puff lines from the HPFF forums.  
><strong>

**Thanks for reading! And if you love Reverse, please go and support it in the Dobby awards on the Harry Potter Fan Fiction forums(: I can't even tell you how much it'd mean to me if Reverse was nominated!  
><strong>

**-SpringSinger19**


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